By Wally Kennedy

wkennedy@joplinglobe.com

The Sisters of Mercy Health System, the new owner of St. John’s Regional Medical Center, asked for views Thursday night about the future of local health care, and it got them — pages and pages of them.

More than 125 people from Joplin and across the region were asked to describe what health care in Joplin needs to look like. They were seated at 18 tables at the Joplin Holiday Inn, where they shared their opinions and observations.

At the end of their round table discussions, their statements — printed on large sheets of paper — were collected by representatives of Sisters of Mercy.

The topics were wide-ranging. Some groups wanted expanded access to health care in north Joplin and Webb City, continued support of the Community Clinic of Joplin, and easier access to care. Other groups wanted more choice where care is concerned, greater stability in the medical staff, and less interference by insurance companies.

Lynn Britton, president and CEO of Sisters of Mercy, based in St. Louis, said Mercy’s focus during the acquisition phase has been internal in that the top priority has been the employees of St. John’s.

“It’s time to shift gears and get the external point of view,” he said. “What does health care need to look like in Joplin? Instead of us telling you what that should be, we want you to tell us.”

Britton said the comments gathered Thursday night “will become the basis of a plan for what we will do in Joplin. Before we can do that, we have to un derstand what is going on here first.”

Britton gave those attending a glimpse of the future at St. John’s. He said the medical center plans expanded use of technology with the installation of electronic medical records by 2011. He said patients will have greater access to an array of doctors who provide specialty care that, until now, has not been available.

Sisters of Mercy, he said, will continue to advance lower-cost health care settings beyond the typical hospital environment. The system, he said, saw 2.7 million patients last year, but only 143,000 were seen at hospitals.

Britton used the occasion to introduce Gary Pulsipher, the new president and CEO St. John’s, to the community. Pulsipher, who has experience with the Mercy system as a hospital administrator in Lebanon, said he was glad to be back with Mercy in Southwest Missouri.

The transfer of St. John’s ownership from Catholic Health Initiatives, based in Denver, to Sisters of Mercy was announced earlier this month. The agreement to make that happen was formulated in midsummer, Britton said.

When Mercy took over, Pulsipher said there was a possibility that some jobs would move from St. John’s in Joplin to Sisters of Mercy operations in Springfield and St. Louis. Britton said that remains a possibility.

St. John’s within the past year has eliminated about 160 full-time positions and cut programs, with the overall aim of saving $30 million in expenses.