Lower malpractice insurance lures doctors across state line

September 17, 2008 09:37 pm

— By Roger McKinney
rmckinney@joplinglobe.com
GALENA, Kan. — Orthopaedic Specialists of the Four States plans to open its new medical office building in Galena in about a year.
Future plans include a specialty hospital with surgical suites.
The group includes seven independent physicians who have privileges at both Joplin, Mo., hospitals. Orthopaedic Specialists of the Four States currently is located in Joplin at 1111 McIntosh Circle, Suite B. Dr. Brian Ipsen said that with the addition of two doctors, the group has outgrown its Joplin location.
The malpractice insurance environment in Kansas made Galena an attractive location, the doctors said.
Dr. Christopher Banwart, a member of the physicians group, said the doctors would save 50 percent on malpractice insurance by being based in Kansas.
“Kansas affords an open and friendly environment for doctors,” Banwart told a crowd gathered for a ground-breaking ceremony. “This is a beautiful location. It’s not that far for our patients.”
Bob Tomlinson, assistant Kansas insurance commissioner, said the 50 percent savings figure is accurate.
“That is principally because of the malpractice tort experience in Kansas and Missouri,” Tomlinson said. He said there are fewer malpractice lawsuits and the cap on awards is $100,000 lower in Kansas than Missouri. He said before Missouri lowered its cap on malpractice awards to $350,000, there was a mass exodus of doctors from Missouri to Kansas in the Kansas City area.
Ipsen and other doctors said they have patients from throughout the region.
The community on Wednesday celebrated the planned $4 million to $5 million medical office building. The ceremony featured the doctors involved, local officials and music from the Galena High School choir and band. Galena Mayor Dale Oglesby said the development may be the biggest thing to happen in town since its mining heyday.
“Our whole city is just electrified about what’s going on here,” Oglesby said.
Banwart said the office building is a significant undertaking for the doctors.
“It’s bringing health care to the next level,” he said. “We have a vision for where we want to be.”
Rick Cook, the Wichita developer who put the project together, said the two-story office building would have an area of 35,000 to 38,000 square feet. He said construction should start within 30 days.
“The plan is to follow this building with a specialty hospital,” Cook said, adding that plans for the surgical suites hadn’t been completed. He said the land also could include retail development in the future.
“There’s just so many possibilities here,” Cook said.
Cook said the building, which is in the east end of Galena, could create a greater connection between Galena and Joplin.
“It could be the catalyst to get that going very easily,” Cook said. “It could be the catalyst that lights the fire.”
Ipsen said the Galena medical office would employ around 50 to 60 people, some of whom would transfer from the Joplin location. He said though no procedures would be performed in the medical building initially, all the doctors in the group have privileges at the Joplin hospitals, where surgeries or other procedures would continue to be performed.
Another doctor in the group, Timothy Ogden, said the building location is ideal and repeated the idea about less restrictive malpractice laws in Kansas.
“It’s got good visibility,” Ogden said. “It’s just a good location for our patients.”
Oglesby said mining maps have been reviewed to ensure that the location is not undermined, as is the case with many locations in Galena.
Other physicians who are part of Orthopaedic Specialists of the Four States are Jonathan Grantham, Paul Toma, Terry Schwab and Robert Stringer. Ipsen said Dr. Mark McNemar, of Columbus, would join the group within the next year or two. Joe Caputo is the administrator and business manager.

To learn more
Orthopaedic Specialists of the Four States is online at www.ortho4states.com.

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