Via Christi acquires Wichita Clinic

One of the biggest health care acquisitions between two Wichita-based providers was completed Thursday.

Via Christi Health and Wichita Clinic announced that they had formally completed the acquisition that makes the 160-physician group a part of the state's largest health system.

Neither Via Christi nor Wichita Clinic disclosed financial terms of the deal, which was announced last month.

Via Christi said Wichita Clinic's 13 locations in the Wichita metropolitan area will change their names to Via Christi Clinic over a "yet-to-be-determined period of time."

Via Christi reiterated in a news release that "no change is expected to office locations or employee status at this time."

Wichita Clinic has 1,030 employees.

As part of the deal and effective immediately, Wichita Clinic physician and chief medical officer Robert Kenagy will become senior vice president for Via Christi Physician Services.

Clinic physician and executive medical officer Jack Shellito will be appointed chief medical officer of Via Christi Clinic. Wichita Clinic executive director Kimberly Shank will be vice president of operations for the new clinic.

Kevin Conlin, Via Christi Health CEO, was not available for comment when the completion of the deal was announced Thursday afternoon.

But in a statement he said the deal, earlier expected to take as many as four months to complete, closed more quickly because of broad support of Wichita Clinic physicians who owned stock in the clinic.

"The overwhelming support of the physician owners of the clinic has allowed the transaction to close more quickly," Conlin said in a statement e-mailed to The Eagle.

Kenagy also was not available for comment, a Wichita Clinic spokeswoman said.

Conlin said in the release that the acquisition provides for "a new model of care delivery that we believe will benefit patients, employers and payers by coordinating services to improve access to and quality of care and to help control the cost of care."

This story was originally published December 10, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Via Christi acquires Wichita Clinic."