For the first time, Medicare is imposing financial penalties to hospitals based on their infection and complication rates, a group that includes 10 hospitals in the Kansas City metropolitan area. In Kansas, the hospitals facing penalties include Menorah Medical Center, Overland Park Regional Medical Center, St. Luke's South and the University of Kansas Hospital. In Missouri, the list includes Centerpoint, Lee's Summit Medical Center, Research Medical Center, St. Luke's Hospital and Truman Medical Center. The hospitals are defending themselves by criticizing the way the research was collected and analyzed, saying the government's assessment isn't a fair one.
