After three years of negotiating and a year of planning Mercy Regional Hospital has officially become Via Christi Hospital.

The hospital announced last February that it would fully join Via Christi Health, the largest nonprofit healthcare provider in Kansas. Previously, Via Christi and the Memorial Hospital Association (MHA) had a joint 50-50 ownership of Mercy, with Via Christi providing management services.

Patients won’t see much change other than the name at the hospital according to John Broberg, Via Christi Manhattan Senior Administrator.

“To the patient, I don’t think it will be any difference at all,” Broberg said. “As we rounded with our night shift last night and handed out new name badges and new t-shirts for Via Christi, it was that same caring and engaged staff that’s going to be here today, tomorrow and in the future taking care of patients.”

By fully joining Via Christi the hospital joins the largest Catholic and nonprofit healthcare system in the country as Via Christi is a member of Ascension.

Jeff Korsmo, President and CEO of Via Christi Health explained that the hospital believes in what their name stands for, “Via Christi means in the way of Christ.”

“This has been an outstanding hospital for years and has its roots with the Sisters of the congregation of St. Joseph. So that presence has been here in a significant way, but it is really to fully have the Christ like presence, the healing presence.”

Korsmo went on to say that they are not here to impose religion on anyone but to,”care for them as Christ would have cared for them.”

Along with the name change the Hospital held a groundbreaking for a new $15.5 million project that will include a complete renovation and expansion of the Emergency Department, the addition of a more registration rooms, a Chapel and more labor and delivery triage rooms.  That project is expected to kick off in June.