Saint Luke's Health System partners with BJC HealthCare, CoxHealth and Memorial Health System

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Saint Luke’s Health System of Kansas City announced a partnership on Wednesday with three other healthcare providers from across Missouri.

Saint Luke’s Health System of Kansas City, Mo., BJC HealthCare of St. Louis, Mo., CoxHealth of Springfield, Mo., and Memorial Health System of Springfield, Ill., will create The BJC Collaborative, LLC.

Each of the collaborative members will stay independent, but said the partnership would allow them to improve health care for their patients while lowering healthcare costs.

“This collaborative provides a unique opportunity for these leading regional health systems to leverage our combined knowledge and resources to ensure we continue to provide exceptional care for the communities we serve,” said Dr. Melinda Estes in a news release on Wednesday. “Because we share similar missions, we can work together to maximize value for our patients and expand the ways we deliver care.”

Estes is president and CEO of Saint Luke’s Health System and also serves as vice-chair of the Board for the Collaborative.

The group plans to look at developing and sharing practices on service quality, trainin and information systems and technology.