These Are the Top Pediatric Care Providers in Westchester

What To Know About Springfield's Pediatric Project Now That Mercy And ...

A Tuesday morning press release from Mercy Hospital Springfield marked the end of a collaboration with Cox Health to bring expanded pediatric care to Springfield.

The project, which had been announced in November 2023, was in the works for over a year, according to the hospital systems. At a town hall in December 2023, the two health providers explained their vision for a standalone pediatric building that would fill in gaps in their own pediatric services.

However, Mercy says that they remain committed to serving the community and are partnering with a Kansas City-based children's hospital.

Here's what to know about the situation.

What happened to the Mercy-Cox partnership?

Mercy Hospital Springfield as seen in this News-Leader file photo.

David Argueta, president of Mercy Southwest Communities, said Mercy decided to end the partnership on Monday night. He cited an inability to "come to a solution that was a sustainable pathway forward."

"We just couldn't find a sustainable solution together; that is ultimately why the process ended," Argueta said, adding that ending the partnership wasn't something Mercy "took lightly."

According to a press release from Cox Health, the split was unexpected.

"We were surprised to learn late last night that Mercy has ended the proposed collaboration in order to pursue an exclusive partnership with Children's Mercy in Kansas City," the press release said. "We are greatly disappointed that Mercy made this announcement with minimal notice to us, and to the community."

Argueta said that Mercy remains open to collaborating in the future with CoxHealth.

Will the pediatric project still continue?

Mercy is moving forward in partnership with Children's Mercy Kansas City in order to round out the pediatric health care coverage in Springfield. Argueta said that Children's Mercy was one of the three candidates that Mercy Hospital Springfield and CoxHealth were looking at when they partnership was still in place.

As before, the project is still in its early stages, so there is not a set plan nor timeline.

More: Mercy, Cox confirm vision for children's hospital in Springfield. Here's what we know

Who is Children's Mercy Kansas City?

Children's Mercy Kansas City is an "independent children's health organization dedicated to holistic care, translational research, breakthrough innovation, and educating the next generation of caregivers," according to their website.

Children's Mercy was established by two sisters in 1897 as "The Free Bed Fund Association for Crippled, Deformed and Ruptured Children," also called mercy beds. Children's Mercy is not affiliated with the Sisters of Mercy, who founded the Mercy health system.

Most recently, Children's Mercy was in the news for treating nine children with gunshot wounds following the shooting during the Kansas City Chief's Super Bowl parade.

Why partner with Children's Mercy Kansas City?

Children's Mercy was one of the three respondents to the request for proposal, Argueta said, and surveys indicated it was the preferred provider out of the three.

"The data showed that (families') preference was Children's Mercy," Argueta said.

When asked about whether the decision to go with Children's Mercy was the cause of the partnership ending, Ettie Berneking, Mercy Hospital Springfield spokesperson said that "based on the community support and our board and our leaders, our preferred sustainable path forward was Children's Mercy. We don't want to speak on Cox's behalf."

More: Lawsuit says Mercy retaliated against Springfield development group for whistleblowing

Will people who are not Mercy patients be able to use the services?

The resulting Children's Mercy/Mercy Health project will be open to everyone, according to Marie Moore, chief nursing officer for Mercy Springfield.

"By inviting Children's Mercy to out community, it's not exclusive to Mercy," Moore said. "They are an independent children's care provider that will be coming to the community to deliver services."

Moore emphasized that Mercy continues to focus on providing a system of care that allows kids to stay in the area, rather than traveling to St. Louis or Kansas City.

What was CoxHealth's reaction to Mercy's announcement?

Cox South hospital in Springfield..

In a press release, CoxHealth expressed surprise at the partnership ending. However, it says it will continue to focus on quality pediatric care.

"For many months, CoxHealth has worked in good faith toward a first-of-its-kind collaboration designed to elevate children's services for the Springfield region and surrounding communities," the press release said. "Transforming pediatric care was our focus when we began discussions on a historic partnership for children's care, and it is our focus now, even as Mercy has chosen to abruptly change course."

This ending was an unexpected result, according to CoxHealth, though Argueta said a break-up was always in the back of his mind as a possibility.

CoxHealth reaffirmed a commitment to pediatric care and decisions based on what is best for the children, "independent of corporate self-interest."

"The families of southwest Missouri deserve outstanding care close to home, and CoxHealth will continue to boldly pursue the elevation of pediatric care."

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Mercy ends its collaboration with CoxHealth on pediatric project

Watch 'Inside Pediatrics' On KMBC.com

A six-part documentary series called "Inside Pediatrics" premiered on KMBC-TV on Wednesday, Dec. 17th at 7 p.M. Watch Episode 1Watch Episode 2Watch Episode 3Watch Episode 4Watch Episode 5Watch Episode 6"Inside Pediatrics" took you inside the real stories of families and staff at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.  The series will introduced you to 28 patients and their families, representing 22 cities and five states.Inside Pediatrics is narrated by Kansas City native and actor Paul Rudd.  "This is a very personal project for me," Rudd said. "I get to meet these remarkable kids every year when I visit Children's Mercy for our Big Slick Weekend.  I don't think anyone can understand what happens every day at a hospital like this unless you're here, and you meet the families and the staff. Inside Pediatrics takes you there, and the stories are very real and powerful."The series begins with an episode called "A Ton of Bricks."  As the title suggests, the documentary focuses on how parents and patients struggle to cope with devastating and unexpected diagnoses.  The second episode, "Finding Answers," discovers how the hospital's Center for Pediatric Genomic Medicine is improving outcomes for patients.  In "Hoping for a Miracle," episode 3, cameras go inside the delivery room to share the dramatic first moments of life for two infants born with life threatening conditions. Watch the Inside Pediatrics trailer Episode 4 profiles a young girl nicknamed "Precious" who is battling a chronic liver disease.The final two episodes are titled "World Class Care" and "Into the Future."Click here for more stories, bonus content, and to learn more about Children's Mercy.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —

A six-part documentary series called "Inside Pediatrics" premiered on KMBC-TV on Wednesday, Dec. 17th at 7 p.M. 

Watch Episode 1Watch Episode 2Watch Episode 3Watch Episode 4Watch Episode 5Watch Episode 6

"Inside Pediatrics" took you inside the real stories of families and staff at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.  The series will introduced you to 28 patients and their families, representing 22 cities and five states.

Inside Pediatrics is narrated by Kansas City native and actor Paul Rudd.  "This is a very personal project for me," Rudd said. "I get to meet these remarkable kids every year when I visit Children's Mercy for our Big Slick Weekend.  I don't think anyone can understand what happens every day at a hospital like this unless you're here, and you meet the families and the staff. Inside Pediatrics takes you there, and the stories are very real and powerful."

The series begins with an episode called "A Ton of Bricks."  As the title suggests, the documentary focuses on how parents and patients struggle to cope with devastating and unexpected diagnoses.  

The second episode, "Finding Answers," discovers how the hospital's Center for Pediatric Genomic Medicine is improving outcomes for patients.  

In "Hoping for a Miracle," episode 3, cameras go inside the delivery room to share the dramatic first moments of life for two infants born with life threatening conditions. 

Episode 4 profiles a young girl nicknamed "Precious" who is battling a chronic liver disease.

The final two episodes are titled "World Class Care" and "Into the Future."

Click here for more stories, bonus content, and to learn more about Children's Mercy.

Mercy Springfield Drops Pediatric Collaboration With CoxHealth ...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Edited News Release/KY3) - Just four months after CoxHealth and Mercy announced a first-of-its-kind collaboration to improve child care services in the area, the relationship has ended.

Mercy is now partnering with a Kansas City children's hospital and moving on without Cox.

The ending of the short-lived relationship between two of Springfield's largest employers came as a surprise on Tuesday as it was back on November 13, 2023 that competitors CoxHealth and Mercy held a major news conference to announce what was described as an historic collaboration to bring better pediatric services to the area so families wouldn't have to go to Kansas City or St. Louis because of gaps in local care. According to market share data, 27% of patients leave the region for care. The plan was to bring in a third-party that was highly-specialized in pediatric services to collaborate with Mercy and CoxHealth on what the area needed.

"In most things our systems are going to continue to be fiercely competitive because that competition truly breeds improvement," Cox Health President and CEO Max Buetow said at the time. "There are a lot of details we still need to work out but I think part of our vision is this will probably look like, at the boldest end of it, a stand-alone pediatric hospital for this community."

But on Tuesday Mercy officials announced the pediatric partnership with CoxHealth was over after the two sides could not agree on working together with Mercy's preferred choice as the third partner, Children's Mercy Kansas City, which is actually not a part of the Mercy system despite its name.

"They are an independent children's care provider," said Mercy Springfield Chief Nursing Officer Marie Moore. "It is not in any way only for Mercy patients. Although we're disappointed this didn't come together like we thought, we have not deviated from our focus to bring elevated pediatric services to our community."

"At the end of the day there are different points of view on the right path forward," said David Argueta, president of Mercy Southwest Missouri. "We just feel very strongly that Children's Mercy is a partner we want to move forward with."

Argueta explained that several hospitals were in the running after a request for proposal period, including Children's Mercy Kansas City.

"We knew there weren't many examples of what we were aiming to accomplish across the country and that there was a chance we wouldn't reach an agreement," Argueta said. "But we also know we need to enhance pediatric care in our region and make it locally available, so working alongside CoxHealth to evaluate options was the right place to start. I'm incredibly proud of our two teams for working together and making this issue a priority for our community. While I'm disappointed we didn't come to an agreement, I am pleased that we have agreed to collaborate with Children's Mercy Kansas City to create an exceptional solution for the region that meets our primary objective, which is to provide care to our kids close to home."

Mercy's leadership team visited several healthcare organizations, including Children's Mercy Kansas City, during the past year as part of the evaluation process.

"From the first moment we set foot in their facility in Kansas City, it was clear that everything they do is about kids," Moore said. "As an independent hospital, Children's Mercy Kansas City's sole focus is pediatric care. From the way they design their facilities, their commitment to world-class translational research, the way they engage families as true partners in the child's care, the amenities they offer, everything is done first with kids' needs in mind. They are set to bring that level of care to Springfield, and we are excited to welcome them, especially since so many in our community already utilize Children's Mercy Kansas City."

To gauge the community's preference for a world-class pediatric care provider, Mercy asked Monigle, a nationally recognized brand and consumer research firm, to independently survey 300 healthcare decision-makers in southwest Missouri.

Consumers expressed a clear and statistically significant preference for Children's Mercy Kansas City as the pediatric hospital partner by a 17% margin compared to other pediatric hospitals in the region. The data also showed that Children's Mercy Kansas City had the highest awareness among pediatric hospitals surveyed, and 17% of the children in the area have received care from Children's Mercy Kansas City in contrast to 8% who have used St. Louis Children's and 2% who have used SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, both in St. Louis. The independent data made clear that parents and healthcare consumers in this region want Children's Mercy Kansas City to be their kid's care provider.

"We are excited to collaborate with Mercy to increase pediatric services in the community to ensure families have access to world-class research and innovative care close to home," said Paul Kempinski, MS, FACHE, president and CEO of Children's Mercy Kansas City. "By creating a pediatric system of excellence in southwest Missouri, our patients will no longer need to drive several hours for appointments and care, which will help improve access and outcomes for all the children we serve in the area. Fundamentally, this is about providing excellent care to kids in their community."

Children's Mercy Kansas City is one of only 30 centers nationwide to be verified as a Level 1 Children's Surgery Center. In addition, it is also a Level 1 pediatric trauma center and has the busiest critical care transport department in the country, with 6,000 transports per year. When it comes to national awards, Children's Mercy Kansas City is continuously ranked as one of America's Best Children's Hospitals and ranked the No. 1 children's hospital in Missouri by

U.S. News & World Report. Children's Mercy Kansas City earned its fifth consecutive Magnet award, making it the only hospital in Missouri to earn five Magnet designations. The American Nurses Credentialing Center's Magnet Recognition Program is nursing's highest honor, recognizing healthcare organizations that provide the best possible quality of nursing care.

Children's Mercy's Research Institute is a world leader in pediatric genomics, personalized medicine, and other areas of emphasis that will bring advancements in care directly to the children of Springfield.

"When we evaluated all of the providers that took part in the request for proposal, we were most impressed by Children's Mercy Kansas City," Moore said. "They have a long history of engaging with the community in shared decision-making, which we think makes them uniquely equipped to come to our community and provide care for our kids. They don't simply set up shop and open their doors. They collaborate with the community, and that's what we and parents across the region want for our kids."

Mercy officials said that right now the new collaboration with Children's Mercy Kansas City has no specific timetable as to when or what services or facilities will be coming to Springfield.

"We do have confidence that that this type of situation will work and thrive," Argueta said. "Especially when it's with an organization where every day it's all about taking care of kids."

CoxHealth declined KY3′s request for an interview but did release this statement regarding an end to the partnership with Mercy:

For many months, CoxHealth has worked in good faith toward a first-of-its-kind collaboration designed to elevate children's services for the Springfield region and surrounding communities.

Transforming pediatric care was our focus when we began discussions on a historic partnership for children's care, and it is our focus now, even as Mercy has chosen to abruptly change course.

This is why we were surprised to learn late last night that Mercy has ended the proposed collaboration in order to pursue an exclusive partnership with Children's Mercy in Kansas City. We are greatly disappointed that Mercy made this announcement with minimal notice to us, and to the community.

In October, CoxHealth and Mercy engaged a third party to guide an objective process, which included community leaders, to determine the best solution.

Unfortunately, Mercy's unilateral decision to end the collaboration is in direct conflict with the clear results of the mutually agreed upon process.

Mercy's exit is not a scenario CoxHealth had anticipated. Given the unexpected nature of this announcement, our team will work closely with the community to carefully consider the best options for the care of our children.

CoxHealth prides itself on being a locally governed organization that is dedicated to our neighbors. We will make decisions based on what is best for the children of our communities, independent of corporate self-interest.

The families of southwest Missouri deserve outstanding care close to home, and CoxHealth will continue to boldly pursue the elevation of pediatric care.

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