Contrary to what some in Kansas City may claim, the Kansas University Medical Center, along with KU Hospital, could gain the Comprehensive Cancer Center or a National Cancer Institute designation without a partnership or affiliation with St. Luke’s Hospital.

“When the application arrives for the Comprehensive Cancer Center or National Cancer Institute certification or designation, the presence, or lack of, an internal medical teaching residency program with the KU Medical Center will not make any difference. In fact, those investigating the application probably won’t even ask about any residency program.”

This is the analysis of one of the nation’s most knowledgeable consultants who works with medical centers and hospitals in their efforts to attain the Comprehensive Cancer Center or National Cancer Institute badge of distinction.

This widely recognized consultant added: “Number 1, the much referenced ‘Time To Get It Right’ report funded by Kansas City, Missouri, interests is an excellent report, but there is no mention of medical education in this report.

“Number 2, every effort should be made to obtain a Comprehensive Cancer Center and or a National Cancer Institute designation as it would be good for the university and Kansas City area.

“Number 3, why should Kansas denigrate its medical school and hospital by an agreement which does nothing good for the university or the state?

“Number 4, Kansas certainly is owed something in return for whatever it may be giving up or for weakening its school and hospital.”

There’s no question that Kansas City and St. Luke’s proponents as well as KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway, Executive Vice Chancellor Barbara Atkinson, Provost Richard Lariviere and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will hammer away about the only way for KU to gain CCC or NCI certification is to sign an affiliation agreement to provide the KU brand and residents to St. Luke’s. This is not true!

What KU does need is access to more cancer clinical studies and these can be obtained through an association with a number of hospitals on both sides of the state line. But in every case – whether at St. Luke’s, other hospitals in Kansas City or hospitals in Lawrence, Topeka or St. Joseph – clinical studies can be obtained without KU having to give away its brand name or supply KU-trained residents to these hospitals.

The plan being bulldozed by Hemenway, Atkinson, Lariviere, Kansas City leaders Irv Hockaday and Bill Hall and others is being driven by things other than how best to attain the CCC or NCI identification. Unfortunately, some apparently are willing to sell out, possibly weaken the KU medical school and KU Hospital to achieve some personal and financial goals.