Direct Line from Max Buetow for 5/24/2024

May 24, 2024

Proudly announcing our first steps in advancing pediatric care with St. Louis Children’s Hospital

We reached a milestone in our work to expand pediatric care for our community on Tuesday with the announcement of our collaboration with St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

Walking down the halls at CoxHealth this week – in our clinical spaces and our administrative offices – you feel a sense of pride in where we are today.

After all the work our teams have put in, it is great to announce this step toward achieving our vision of more comprehensive pediatric care.

By working together, CoxHealth and St. Louis Children’s Hospital – with the support and expertise of pediatric specialists at Washington University School of Medicine – hope to increase access to world-class pediatric care and create a health care hub for children and families in Springfield, southwest Missouri, and beyond.

We are still early in the process, and we will spend the next few months in due diligence, working toward a final agreement this fall.

From my perspective, we are in a great position with St. Louis Children’s and Washington University.

This triad of organizations has a tremendous amount of horsepower, and I appreciate the way we have come together in an honest dialogue about the best ways to serve our children.

We have been evaluating options for a long time, and it is abundantly clear to us that St. Louis Children’s offers us the best opportunity to achieve our vision.

Our relationship so far has confirmed that we are on the right path. At every turn, they have exceeded our expectations, and the potential benefits of the collaboration are already on display.

We have been able to lean into the incredible strength of these two institutions. We have benefitted from their operational knowledge of pediatrics and their understanding of the breadth and depth of children’s care. We have also accessed the expertise of the BJC leadership team, as well as the unmatched prowess of the Washington University physician group.

They have encouraged us to think broadly about the proactive work we can do for pediatric health and the ripple effect that can have on a community.

Collaborations are an essential part of the fabric of our organization. It feels good to be working with people we trust, who put patient needs first, and whose expertise fits like a puzzle piece into the excellent care we are already providing our community.

As we reach this first milestone, I would be remiss if I didn’t recognize the work of our clinical leadership in this process.

Dr. Staci Rogers, our Chief Transformation Officer, has helped put every critical component of this endeavor together. There is no piece of this that she has not touched, and if it were not for her valuable leadership, we would not be where we are today.

Dr. Rogers is quick to recognize the support she has received from Dr. Kofi Asare-Bawuah, medical director of pediatrics for our system. He and Dr. Rogers have been a dynamic duo throughout this process. His expertise in and vision for pediatric care has provided a critical depth to our decision making and bolstered our confidence in our current course of action.

They have worked closely with Drs. Laura Cerny and Zach Betters – true frontline leaders in pediatric care. When we as an organization talk about having physician voices at the forefront of major decisions, this collaboration is emblematic of that commitment.

As we get into more details of this arrangement, their voices will be incredibly important as they represent our pediatric workforce.

While I may see the project from a 30,000-foot view in my role, our pediatric professionals live our vision every single day.

They are the ones who are face to face with the children and families receiving care in our communities, and I know our clinicians feel immensely proud of the way we are delivering on promises we have made to them.

I am grateful for the work they have done so far and for all of the efforts St. Louis Children’s and Washington University have put into our collaboration.

The combination of those viewpoints and perspectives has brought us to this week’s celebratory milestone. In the coming months, we will move methodically and intentionally, and we will focus on our own narrative as we write our own story.

I am confident that the combined power of our organizations, our clinical and leadership expertise, and our commitment to the mission of serving our region’s children, will make our vision a reality.

Voices of the community

We were thrilled to share the news on Tuesday, and we have been overwhelmed by the positive response. Here are a few highlights from CoxHealth’s social media:

• “As a mom who drives three hours to St. Louis and the surrounding satellite clinics, this collaboration could mean big things for our community! Thank you!”
• “Such a great investment in our community! This will be such an impact to so many families in the area.”
• “As a mom who has a little one who sees CoxHealth and St. Louis Children’s doctors, this is fantastic!”

Thank you for all you do,

Max