In last week’s Saturday Column, this writer expressed concern about efforts of some Kansas City individuals to form an alliance or association between the Kansas University Medical Center, St. Luke’s Hospital and Children’s Mercy Hospital.

It was noted that this effort was being chaired by Barbara Atkinson, executive vice chancellor for the KU Medical Center, with senior officials of St. Luke’s and Children’s Mercy serving in lesser positions.

The column pointed out that, for some reason, the University of Kansas Hospital was not a part of this plan and that Irene Cumming, president and chief executive officer of the hospital, was not part of the steering committee guiding the cooperative effort.

Under Cumming’s direction, the KU Hospital has grown into a much larger operation whose excellence is attracting greater attention throughout the area. Why wasn’t Cumming a major part of any plan to develop a joint organization among the hospitals? And why wasn’t the KU Hospital an integral part of the proposal?

It is clear the two Missouri hospitals, as well as Kansas City, Mo., leaders, realize the KU Medical Center is the key element in any plan to try to elevate the Kansas City area in the field of medical bioscience research and medical care.

The Saturday Column urged KU Medical Center officials to go slow on any plan that might diminish the strength, excellence and fiscal base of the KU Medical Center – or lessen any growth and expansion by the KU Hospital.

Soon after the column appeared, this writer received two messages from KU Medical Center people. One was from a professor and department chair who wrote: “I want to bring to your attention to a rather significant error. The article stated that the University Hospital was not at the table, however, that is entirely untrue. Both Irene Cumming, CEO, and another board member of the University of Kansas Hospital Authority are on the committee discussing any potential partnerships or affiliations.”

The other e-mail, sent several hours earlier, said, in part:

“Your editorial reflects an understanding of how successful KU Hospital has been, and hopefully will help create a drumbeat of support for the Hospital so that its successes and potential are not deflected downward by the Atkinson Alliance. This Alliance was initially formed by a group of people who decided to empower themselves to create a committee, a mission and a vision using a process that was out of the public eye.

“You have undoubtedly been informed that Irene Cumming is now a part of that committee. I doubt that it has been emphasized to you that the committee initially did not include Irene and has acted to include Irene only when secrecy failed and pressures to do the right thing prevailed and it was politically impossible for the committee to continue without including Irene. The initial core group remains the voting majority.”

This is just a small part of the e-mail that detailed other happenings and thinking at the medical center and indicated there continues to be strong, differing opinions concerning numerous internal matters at the medical school and hospital.

According to the hospital staffer: “The citizens of Kansas should ask why the EVC (executive vice chancellor) did not initially develop a joint KU-KU Hospital strategy that represented the interests of these two intertwined organizations rather than having the University meet first with the Missouri hospitals. The answer lies in the scope of the KU Hospital enabling legislation. A loophole in the 1998 enabling legislation that allows the University to do joint ventures with other hospitals without strategic collaboration with KU Hospital leadership needs to be closed.”

According to this KU insider, the loophole needs to be closed but because the Kansas Legislature is not in session, it may be too late to stop the efforts to put together the proposed alliance.

Apparently, Atkinson has distributed a timetable of the new organization that calls for completion of the pact and implementation by Aug. 15.

It looks like a done deal, a railroaded plan with little publicity or input by interested parties – particularly those with deep interest in the continued growth and success of KU’s entire medical operation in Wyandotte County.

A printed timetable has been given to department chairs in a planning notebook and was posted on a bulletin board in the physician’s dining area of the KU Hospital last week.

It is difficult to understand why there continues to be so much conflict and so many ego and turf battles at the medical center. Why can’t there be more cooperation? Why has this hospital association plan been so secret? Shouldn’t Kansas legislators know about this effort? Would such a plan divert any dollars away from the KU Medical Center? There are many other questions.

Granted, the Saturday Column was wrong in saying the KU Hospital was not at the table and that Irene Cumming was not a member of the steering committee. She is now.

However, according to the KU insider, this was not the situation at the outset of the planning, and it wasn’t until later – and, evidently the application of some pressure – that Cumming was added to the group.

Someone at the KU Medical Center, St. Luke’s, Children’s Mercy or at all three facilities wanted to keep the public in the dark. And, at least initially, they didn’t want Irene Cumming and the KU Hospital to be part of the planning for this proposed hospital alliance.

This is wrong, and Kansans should be aware of the planning and reasons behind the planning and efforts of Kansas City, Mo., players in this scheme.