Columbia senator sees few options for MU Health, SSM deal
As University of Missouri Health Care continues its efforts to buy the St. Mary’s hospitals in Jefferson City and Mexico, many critics of the deal are calling on Missouri lawmakers to halt the acquisition.
State Sen. Caleb Rowden, who represents the district that houses MU Health’s Columbia headquarters, said in an interview Friday that there simply aren’t any other potential buyers for the SSM-run properties.
“For the moment, MU Health Care is the only option that we’ve seen,” Rowden said. “So, I want to make sure that if there is a push to move elsewhere, that we know where that ‘elsewhere’ is and that it’s something someone or some entity that is as stable and as community-minded as MU is.”
Many who oppose the merger voiced their concerns during a series of recent open forums, saying health care consolidation in the capital city would drive up prices and hurt consumers.
Rowden, who will be majority leader in the Senate when the General Assembly’s session begins Jan. 9, told ABC 17 News the situation is not ideal.
“SSM built this huge, awesome hospital in Jefferson City and then just didn’t have the capacity to carry it forward,” said Rowden. “I don’t like the situation that we’re in any more than anybody else does, but we’ve got to deal with the variables as we sit here today.”
If the deal is made, MU Health Care, which also made a thus far unsuccessful bid to manage Boone Hospital Center, would be the lone major health care provider in the Jefferson City area.
MU Health and SSM are continuing to work on the deal and it’s not clear when negotiations might end. MU Health CEO Jonathan Curtright said recently he hopes a decision is made by the middle of 2019.
