State hospital halts new admissions during renovations

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ Osawatomie State Hospital has stopped accepting new admissions while the facility undergoes renovations.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports (http://bit.ly/1IeAU7X ) that officials with the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services told the Kansas Mental Health Coalition on Wednesday the moratorium on new admissions began over the weekend.

The renovations come after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found the hospital wa not in compliance with federal standards.

Under the moratorium, the hospital’s patient population is capped at 146, below its previous capacity of 206.

The moratorium has raised concerns for people in need of the care that the hospital provides. David Elsbury, CEO of Kanza Mental Health and Guidance Center in Hiawatha, says over the weekend, at least two individuals at his center had to wait for care.