This week we briefed the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, the Senate Ways and Means Committee, and the House Appropriations Committee on the consultants' report on management of KU Hospital. Soon a final draft will be ready to present to the Board of Regents and then on to the legislature. It is very complex and very difficult, but it is critical to the success of our mission, to teach, perform research, and provide clinical care. Many people have the perception that the money used to fund the hospital is state tax money. This is not true.
All money used by the hospital comes from patient revenues.
I hope we can get this word out. Each time the legislation is discussed, we always focus on how our mission will be advanced and improved. Believe me, this is so critical to our mission, that I am committing virtually all of my time and energy to this because we must have it succeed. The hospital must have more patients to be a dynamic learning environment for our students. Our students must have access to patients so they can gain the experience necessary to be among the nation's best health care professionals.