Mercy Hospital Joplin’s top official said Thursday progress continues toward the acquisition of the existing hospital in Pittsburg. Mercy announced in February that it planned to acquire the 50-bed hospital in Pittsburg from Wichita-based Ascension Via Christi ministry. Mercy’s presence in Southeast Kansas already includes the 26-bed Mercy Specialty Hospital Southeast Kansas in Galena and the 25-bed Mercy Hospital Columbus, as well as a number of clinics and medical offices. Mercy officials said the transition of the Pittsburg hospital was delayed for about a month by an apparent cybersecurity problem in the Ascension Via Christi computer system that forced the two groups to hold off on computer communications. Mercy Joplin President Jeremy Drinkwitz said the delay is not a major issue. “Our intention was to get it done by Aug. 1 but now we’ve pushed it back to Sept. 1,” Drinkwitz said in a telephone interview Thursday with the Joplin Globe. “In transactions, sometimes delays happen so we’re in really good shape to close on Sept. 1 and take over the hospital from Via Christi. We’re actually acquiring the hospital and its assets so we’ll take over management and ownership of the facility.”
Source: www.joplinglobe.com
