Regarding the ongoing Kansas City hospital mess and cancer center designation: Barbara Atkinson, executive vice chancellor for the Kansas University Medical Center, announced last week she is creating a cancer partnership, an advisory board. The board, according to Atkinson, would handle strategic planning and advise the director of the KU cancer center.

Those she is reported to have appointed to the board include herself, KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway, KU Provost Richard Lariviere and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, all of whom have been and continue to be strong supporters of KUMC and KU Hospital merging or affiliating with St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Mo.

Any question as to how the four above-mentioned board members will vote on matters supported by the governor, the chancellor or the executive vice chancellor? By the way, it is understood that representatives of various area hospital will have to pay $500,000 to be part of the advisory board.

Whether it’s KU athletic activities or other university-related affairs, such as the cancer mess, it’s all a matter of control and money.