The state regulation bars hospitals from gaining level 3 designation if they are within 15 miles of a level 1 or 2 trauma center. St. Joseph Medical Center leaders have contended with this rule for years.
“It feels like an unlevel playing field for our citizens,” St. Joseph CEO Jodi Fincher, BSN, RN, told KSHB. “The 15-mile rule has no rational basis. Other states don’t have this rule. It’s not fair to our citizens, it’s not fair to south Kansas City.”
The hospital does not have a designation but has the necessary equipment and certifications to deliver care for blunt trauma, car crashes, assaults and falls, according to the report.
Ms. Fincher filed a lawsuit against the state in 2019 concerning the regulation. The case reached the Missouri Supreme Court, which ruled against St. Joseph, arguing that level 3 hospitals could delay patients from receiving care at level 1 or 2 trauma centers.
In January, Missouri Rep. Mark Sharp introduced a bill that seeks to end the proximity restriction: “The rule may have made sense at a time, but it doesn’t make sense now,” he told KSHB.
The medical center is part of Prime Healthcare, a 44-hospital system based in Ontario, Calif.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.