This press release contains dated information and should be used for background only.
In its fifth year as an independent state authority, The University of Kansas Hospital posted its highest patient volume numbers in its recorded history and continued its program to accommodate the growth.
The hospital reported 18,746 inpatient visits in Fiscal Year 2003, up 8 percent from Fiscal Year 2002. When compared to the year the hospital became a state authority, volume rose more than 43 percent in that five-year period. The announcement came as the hospital released its annual report to the State of Kansas.
To accommodate that growth, The University of Kansas Hospital is in the midst of a program of $147 million in capital improvements. This is in addition to the $103 million capital program in the first four years of the Hospital Authority.
"The Hospital Authority structure has given us the ability to quickly and efficiently invest in improvements to meet patient demands. This not only allows the hospital to provide the level of quality care patients expect from us, but it provides the space and technology to support the teaching and research missions of the University of Kansas," said Irene Cumming, president and chief executive officer of The University of Kansas Hospital.
Cumming said the investments in Fiscal Year 2003 resulted in:
- The addition of a sixth floor onto the hospital building. The 80,000 square foot expansion opened in July with a 22-bed medical/surgical unit and a 14 bed medical intensive care unit. However, in an effort to hold down costs, only one third of the space is presently used for patient care, with the other space available for future expansion. The new medical intensive care unit is one of the new units, with larger rooms to accommodate major changes in technology since the original hospital building was completed in the 1970s.
- The expansion of the Cancer Center. Space for cancer outpatient services more than doubled in the project, which opened in November. In addition to the 19 private treatment rooms, the nearly 30,000 square foot Cancer Center added 12 examination rooms, an enlarged cancer pharmacy and a patient resource center to provide vital education services for patients and their families. A new 4,000 square foot Breast Center brings all breast cancer diagnostic services together in one area, including the latest generation digital mammography unit and computer-assisted detection technology. Patient volumes at the Cancer Center are projected to nearly double over the next five years.
- The groundbreaking for a new heart center. The heart center project cost is estimated at $72 million. Projected for completion in June 2006, the 153,000 square foot facility for inpatient and outpatient services will incorporate the latest concepts in cardiovascular care and provide patients with complete care in one location, from diagnosis through treatment and follow-up services. Nearly 100 beds will be divided between intensive care, inpatient acute telemetry and outpatient procedures. Catherization and electrophysiology procedures climbed 43 percent in this year from the year before and open-heart surgeries grew by 44 percent in the same time period.
- The groundbreaking for a new emergency department. The heart center construction also includes a new emergency department that is 60 percent larger than the existing space. The University of Kansas Hospital had 38,774 emergency patients in the past year, up 30 percent over the last two years.
- The investment in new technology. In addition to the new digital mammography unit, the hospital is purchasing the latest advances in diagnostic and treatment technology. Included are a new PET/CT combination scanner, a modern centralized patient monitoring system and a program where radiological tests can be accessed from the physician's office computer.
Cumming reported that revenues grew with the increase in patient volume. Total operating revenue for FY03 was $359 million, up nearly 12 percent over the previous year. Net income also rose to $12.7 million, an increase of nearly $6.5 million over FY02.
However, in addition to the increase in capital expenditures, uncompensated care took a dramatic jump in FY03. The University of Kansas Hospital provided $51.9 million in uncompensated care in FY03, nearly $1 million per week. That was up from $39 million in FY02, an increase of 33 percent.
Cumming also reported on the value of The University of Kansas Hospital to the State of Kansas.
"Although patients come to The University of Kansas Hospital from all over the region, approximately seven in 10 of our patients are Kansas residents. In fact, as a regional referral center and home to a wide array of medical specialists, the hospital treated patients from all of Kansas' 105 counties in fiscal year 2003," said Cumming.
The University of Kansas Hospital is the region's premier academic medical center, providing a full range of care through 448 staffed inpatient beds and outpatient services. The hospital is governed by an independent Authority Board, which gives the hospital greater flexibility to respond to changes in patient care and technology. The hospital continues to be affiliated with the University of Kansas Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health, and their many leading-edge research projects.