MU Health Care announced today that it's undergoing an “organizational redesign” to protect the long-term financial sustainability of the system.
This comes amid MU Health’s expansion of rural services, which include a new primary care clinic that opened in Holts Summit in May and a program that places medical residents at clinics in California and Versailles.
In a press release, the company attributed the changes to a need to "improve operational performance and position the organization to meet the evolving needs of patients and communities across Missouri.”
The system has laid off 74 employees “primarily in non-clinical and administrative areas” and will close its four Hy-Vee Quick Care locations.
The clinics are located inside of local grocery stores and have offered same-day appointments and walk-ins for minor ailments and injuries, such as acute respiratory infections, ear infections, insect and spider bites or stings, and urinary tract infections.
“As patient care needs have evolved, demand for urgent care and primary care services has continued to grow, while demand for Quick Care services has declined over time,” the release said.
The press release also said MU Health Care plans to offer walk-in services at “select existing locations” in the future and establish a new urgent care and expanded imaging services at Columbia's Keene Street Medical Center.
MU Health Care also announced changes to its benefits structure for employees in an effort to “better align with peer health systems while maintaining a competitive overall benefits package.”
The proposal, which has yet to be approved by the UM System Board of Curators, includes unspecified changes to the benefits program, as well as the expansion of dependent care assistance, expanded counseling services and new fertility and adoption benefits.
“These actions are not simply about reducing costs,” said MU Health Care CEO Ric Ransom in the release. “They are about aligning our organization with the realities of modern health care, improving how we serve patients and ensuring we can continue investing in our people, our mission and the communities that rely on us.”
Ransom will be presenting the proposal to the MU Curator’s Health Affairs Committee Thursday at 1 p.m. at the NextGen Precision Health Institute.
MU Health Care officials declined interview requests.
