Timeline still unclear on deal between MU Health and SSM

It’s still unclear when a final deal could be reached between University of Missouri Health and SSM Health.

MU Health CEO Jonathan Curtright provided a brief update on the negotiations at the Board of Curators’ Health Affairs meeting Tuesday, telling reporters they are about to embark on the “due diligence” phase.

“The next process we will be entering in is due diligence, trying to assess whether or not this is a good opportunity for the citizens of central Missouri and the state of Missouri overall,” Curtright said. “That will take several months, and that’s kind of the next step in the process, and when once that decision has been made and that analysis has been done then we will work through the next steps.”

Curtright said MU Health signed the letter of intent with SSM to purchase St. Mary’s Hospital in Jefferson City and Audrain Medical Center in Mexico about “two or three weeks ago.” Last week, he said the deal would be “fair for everyone involved.”

When asked if the potential purchase will allow MU Health to train more residents, Curtright said “it’s way too premature to ask that. We’re hopeful that can be the case.”

MU Health previously sought a partnership with Boone Hospital Center in Columbia, but negotiations fell apart in January. In December, Curtright touted how a partnership with Boone Hospital would bring more jobs to Columbia. “We continue to be 100 percent committed to Boone County,” he said on Tuesday.

“We fully anticipate that we will continue to make major investments in Columbia … we will need to make some other major investments in our facilities here,” he said. “The main reason for this is we’re trying to create an academic health system to serve one million central Missourians and beyond.”