Paula Baker, President and CEO of Freeman Health Systems, seems a little perplexed that some in southeast Kansas may have doubts that Freeman plans to build a new hospital in Pittsburg.
“I’ve heard that question (Are you really going to build it?) from a lot of people,” she said this week. “I’m a little puzzled, because why would I say we’re going to build a hospital in Pittsburg if we’re not going to build a hospital in Pittsburg? I’m not quite certain why there is even a question around that.”
Baker answered the question with one word.
“Absolutely!” she said.
Baker said the decision to build a new hospital in Pittsburg was not made lightly, but was actually the “next natural step” in a process that has been going on for a number of years. She pointed to the numerous ways Freeman Health Systems has expanded services in Pittsburg and southeast Kansas.
“When you look at level of service that we have, it’s pretty extensive,” Baker said. “All of those services we’ve added, our medical oncology, our outpatient surgery center, our MRI, our specialty clinics, our primary care practices. We rotate more than a dozen specialists right now through our specialty clinics. (This project) is the just the next logical step.”
When speaking to southeast Kansas audiences, Baker, who grew up in Pittsburg, almost always references her love for the city and the region. But, she said, the decision to build a hospital in Pittsburg is about much more than her personal affection for her hometown.
“We consider (southeast Kansas) a very important part of our service area,” Baker said. “There have been many, many, many individuals and families (from Pittsburg and southeast Kansas) who have already chosen Freeman Health Systems as their provider,” Baker said. “We want to honor that. They’ve put their trust in us and we’ve made a commitment to them to take care of them. It concerns me when they have to drive to Joplin, particularly for emergent healthcare. I think we owe this to the patients and families who have already chosen Freeman.”
Baker said that since making the announcement, she’s received a considerable amount of feedback and almost all of it has been positive.
“The overwhelming majority, by far, have been extremely excited,” Baker said. “I will tell you that for years before our announcement, that many, many people in Pittsburg and southeast Kansas took the initiative to come to me and say please come to Pittsburg. That predated our announcement by years.”
Speculation about where Freeman might be built is clearly high in Pittsburg and Baker said a decision is near.
“We’re almost there,” Baker said. “I’m evaluating a number of options. We’re really narrowing that down. We need to find something that’s suitable and appropriate (with room to grow). I am very thoughtful and intentional about that decision, because it is so fundamental to the future.”
She said she’s also working with the architects and expects to “fast-track” as much of the design and construction process as possible.
In announcing the new hospital, Freeman Health Systems described it as a 170,000-square-foot full-service hospital with 50 beds, which is expected to add 500-1,000 jobs.
“My central message (to the residents of Pittsburg and southeast Kansas) is that Freeman Health Systems is committed to southeast Kansas,” Baker said. “We want to provide the cutting-edge innovative services they need. We want to deliver it compassionately and we want to be there when the residents need us the most.
“I love Pittsburg. I love southeast Kansas. It’s such a big part of who I am. I firmly believe that everybody in southeast Kansas deserves the highest quality of healthcare that we can possibly provide for them.”
