Kansas University Hospital on Thursday announced plans to work more closely with its physicians to create a more integrated clinical enterprise, a step that leaders said would improve experiences for patients and allow for better medical education.

Though details are still being worked out, officials said the change will eventually combine the hospital and the KU Physicians — an independent group that manages 18 different physician practices — together into one clinical organization.

“The creation of the new clinical partnership will be as important to the success of the campus as was the independence of the hospital in 1998,” Gov. Sam Brownback said in a release.

Officials said the move would streamline operations to cut down on costs while also improving experiences for patients.

And leaders at KU and KU Medical Center said the new enterprise would also improve the training of future doctors and help fund medical education on the campus more efficiently.

KU Hospital, though it is governed independently by a state authority, is staffed by faculty members of the KU School of Medicine.

Officials will continue to work out details of the plan through at least the middle of this year, the release said.