The University of Kansas Health System is an academic medical center and destination for complex care, becoming an independent hospital in 1998. U.S. News & World Report has consistently recognized the hospital as the No. 1 hospital in Kansas and in Kansas City, and it is the only hospital to receive these awards since their inception. Its cancer, cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, orthopedics and rehabilitation specialties are ranked No. 1 in Kansas and Kansas City, and five of its medical and surgical adult specialties rank among the top 50 nationwide. The hospital provides telehealth care for conditions including ALS, behavioral health and heart failure, and its physicians travel to partner sites throughout Kansas to deliver care closer to home. Through its Care Collaborative, the hospital’s teams share education and evidence-based protocols with peers in rural Kansas communities for time-critical diagnoses, including heart failure, sepsis, ST-elevation myocardial infarction, stroke and trauma. The University of Kansas Health System is the official health care provider for the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Current, Kansas City Royals and T-Mobile Center, as well as University of Kansas Athletics alongside LMH Health. It also serves as the sports medicine and athletic training provider for more than 55 high schools and middle schools. In August 2026, the Kansas state senator, Colby, Kan.-based Citizens Health, The University of Kansas Health System and The University of Kansas Cancer Center together announced a new collaboration bringing a new state-of-the-art KU Cancer Center, made possible partially through the Rural Health Transformation Program.
