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.
Local News
Related Photos
Discussion
Lower malpractice insurance lures doctors across state line
- Local News
-
-
Couple 'scoop out' ice cream business from the past
When 3-year-old Brynlee Rabel tried coconut ice cream for the first time Tuesday, it was love at first taste. “She got the vanilla, but when she tasted my coconut ice cream she had to have it,” said Kayleigh Daugherty, a Joplin resident who wanted Brynlee to share the same experience she had as a little girl when she visited Anderson’s Ice Cream.
-
Missouri National Guard releases records involving soldiers who looted from Wal-Mart
The Missouri National Guard has released records confirming that four soldiers were disciplined for taking merchandise from the ruins of a Wal-Mart store in Joplin one day after the tornado that devastated the city a year ago.
-
Joplin school board awards contract to complete demolition of JHS
The Joplin Board of Education on Tuesday night accepted a bid for finishing tornado-related demolition at the high school.
-
Auditor cites, commission covers potential shortfall in Jasper County sheriff’s budget
The Jasper County Commission on Tuesday approved the transfer of $23,000 onto the Law Enforcement Sales Tax fund available to the sheriff’s office to cover a potential budget shortfall.
-
Joplin METS director requests space for additional ambulance
If all goes like METS Director Jason Smith hopes, this time next year the service will have two ambulances in Webb City, housed in their own station. At Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, Smith requested that the council allow the Joplin-based Metro Emergency Transport System to rent or lease space at the former public works building, 110 E. Church St.
-
Mike Pound: Food competitions combine to make culinary heaven
It’s such a great idea, you wonder why someone didn’t think of it before. In fact, it’s such a good idea that it’s possible it came about by accident.
-
Mo. court strikes down part of 2008 harassment law
The Missouri Supreme Court has struck down part of a state harassment law enacted after the suicide of a St. Charles County teenager who was teased over the Internet.
-
Cattle rustlers strike again in SW Mo. county
The plague of cattle rustling goes on in southwest Missouri’s Greene County.
Sheriff Jim Arnott says the latest episode occurred sometime Sunday in Walnut Grove. -
Bids sought for Cherokee County water treatment plant
After many delays, construction bids are being sought for a water treatement plant and water tank for the Spring River Public Wholesale Water District No. 19.
-
Dog helps some get through the court process
Sophie, a mutt of a dog with draping ears and dotted brows, is helping people in St. Louis County court tell stories of crime to judges, investigators and attorneys.
- More Local News Headlines
-
