TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas’ state Medicaid director, Dr. Adam Proffitt, has announced his resignation to take a new job in the private sector. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced Proffitt’s resignation in a news release Wednesday night. Proffitt’s resignation is effective June 5. Proffitt joined the department as the director of it healthcare finance division in December 2017. He was named the state’s Medicaid director in last May. The news release says the department will announce an interim director at a later date. Proffitt’s resignation comes as the state grapples with trying to contain the new coronavirus outbreak.
Author: KMAN Staff
WICHITA, Kan. — Sedgwick County will pay $310,000 to a Wichita woman injured when a county employee crashed into her in December 2017. The Wichita Eagle reports the settlement comes in a lawsuit filed by Matilda Pruitt after she suffered head, neck, back and other injuries in the crash. Pruitt sued Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department employee Jarrod Truman and the county for negligence. Her lawsuit says she was stopped at a Wichita intersection waiting to turn when Truman crashed into the back of her vehicle. The impact pushed Pruitt’s car into oncoming traffic, where she was hit by…
TOPEKA, Kan. — An eastern Kansas county is defending a policy that directs business owners to collect information about their customers. Attorneys for Linn County argued Thursday in a federal court filing that the rule is an effort to help trace the contacts of infected people during the the coronavirus pandemic. The county’s attorneys said a May 1 order by the health director does not violate constitutional rights against unreasonable searches. The county’s attorneys were responding to a federal lawsuit filed by a newspaper publisher and restaurant owner arguing that the requirement represents an improper warrantless search of their business…
BELLE PLAINE, Kan. — A civil rights group has launched “The Clemency Project” to try to secure the release of Kansas prisoners whose medical conditions make them vulnerable to the coronavirus. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas on Thursday filed the first round of what it anticipates will be dozens of individualized clemency petitions seeking relief for their clients from the parole board and governor. The petitions will be filed on a rolling basis. The move comes days after a Leavenworth judge threw out the group’s class action lawsuit seeking the release of seven inmates due to the pandemic.
Thursday’s show featured Colonel Ted Brown, Commander of Fort Riley’s Irwin Army Community Hospital. Manhattan Regional Airport Director Jesse Romo also highlighted some of the CARES Act funding the airport is receiving from the federal government and about the ongoing parking lot construction project.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan bill Thursday sponsored by Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran to designate 9-8-8 as the national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline. “Designating 9-8-8 as a nationwide suicide help and prevention number provides an easy-to-remember and easy-to-access service for people to dial when they need a helping hand,” Moran said. “As our nation faces a pandemic that limits our human interaction, Americans need this life-saving resource to help prevent suicide and provide a vital mental health service.” The line would include the Veterans Crisis Line for veteran-specific mental health support. Additionally, the…
Bank of the Flint Hills President and CEO Lance White offers a banking
In the first budget session of the year, Manhattan officials talked plans for additional reductions to 2020’s budget if necessary due to decreased revenue resulting from COVID-19 shutdowns as well as goals and challenges in the upcoming fiscal year. Key points for 2021 raised by administrative staff included increasing cash balances, addressing staffing issues and competitive pay, creating a tiered strategic plan that prioritizes city services by importance and growing sales tax revenue after years of stagnation. Whatever the full picture looks like, Manhattan City Commissioners are aiming to start 2021 budget discussions with a flat mill levy and payroll.…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas are joining a broader effort to shield doctors, hospitals and businesses from lawsuits stemming from the coronavirus, with business and medical groups pushing them to act quickly. The effort faces strong opposition from labor unions, trial lawyers and some Democrats. They fear that such measures could be too broad and keep patients, consumers and employees from using the court system to hold businesses and medical providers accountable for negligence or misconduct. Similar efforts are underway in Congress, with Derek Schmidt of Kansas joining other GOP state attorneys general in calling for legislation…
Update 5 p.m. By Nick McNamara Riley County has no plans to implement stricter health and safety restrictions than that state when Kansas progresses into phase 2 of re-opening businesses. Health Officer Julie Gibbs provided no new additional details on Wednesday’s new positive COVID-19 test during the county’s online pandemic update. Gibbs says Gov. Laura Kelly will announce Thursday or Friday whether the state will remain in phase 1 for another period of time. The earliest Kansas can enter phase 2 is May 18, according to the governor’s plan. Once the call is made, local officials will have a clearer…