Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has created a 14-member advisory panel that will look at the creation of a regional psychiatric hospital for south central Kansas.
The governor signed an executive order creating the South Central Regional Psychiatric Hospital Advisory Panel, which will gather public input and make recommendations on the operation, location and workforce development needs of a proposed 50-bed facility.
The panel will look at how a state hospital would fit into existing or planned services in the region, and it will identify existing resources, gaps in services and ways to improve access to mental health services.
Governor Kelly said the panel will lay the groundwork for a hospital that offers care closer to home, cuts wait times, and expands services in south central Kansas.
The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services has awarded $25 million to Sedgwick County to create a new regional hospital to deal with statewide shortages of health and behavioral health services, and to address the demand for a well-trained health care workforce. The State Finance Council has also set aside $15 million from the state’s general fund for the planning and initial design work for a regional hospital.
The advisory panel will provide an interim report to the Governor and the Sedgwick County Commission by January 15, 2024, and a final report is due June 30th.
