TOPEKA — A state official says Kansas hopes to increase the capacity of its mental hospital in Osawatomie by 60 beds by the end of the year.
Secretary Timothy Keck of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services said Friday that the key issue for Osawatomie State Hospital is staffing.
At the end of July, 89 of the hospital’s 422 positions were vacant, or 21 percent. But that’s a significant improvement since December, and Keck said new hiring continues.
KDADS dropped the hospital’s capacity to 146 beds from 206 beds last year to accommodate renovations meant to satisfy the federal government. But federal officials decertified the hospital in December over safety issues after the rape of an employee.
The department last week applied to have part of the hospital recertified.
