New mental health hospital in Olathe will have 72 beds, reducing strain on Kansas system
A new mental health hospital under construction in Olathe will provide care for dozens of patients at a time, eventually providing a substantial boost to Kansas’ strained mental health care system.
Health care leaders and politicians symbolically broke ground Thursday on a mental wellness campus that will feature 72 inpatient beds — 24 for adults and 48 for children in crisis. The center, projected to open in late 2024, will help get individuals into treatment sooner and reduce the pressure on medical hospitals and law enforcement agencies that are often on the front line of care.
The campus is a partnership of Camber Mental Health and Children’s Mercy, and will be partially funded by $12.7 million in federal pandemic aid. Officials estimate it will eventually treat 4,300 people a year.
Like many areas, the demand for mental health services outstrips supply in Kansas, a situation exacerbated by COVID-era disruptions and isolation. Kansas’ state-run mental health hospital system has also long struggled to recruit and retain workers at some facilities.
The pressure for care and the lack of available beds in recent years has funneled some people in mental health crisis into emergency rooms and, sometimes, jails as they wait for an open bed. That has in turn placed additional stress on the health care and correctional facilities, which are not equipped to provide the kind of intensive care often required.
“The need to strengthen mental health services is a nonpartisan issue that affects all Kansans, rural and urban alike—and addressing the need pays dividends for everyone,” Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, said.
“A lack of psychiatric beds has been one of the largest barriers to providing mental health care in our state. When completed, this state-of-the-art hospital will take significant pressure off our health care systems.”
Kelly also used the groundbreaking to reiterate her support for Medicaid expansion, saying it would help Kansans access mental health care. Republican legislative leaders oppose expanding eligibility for the program, which could provide coverage to upwards of an additional 100,000 residents.
State officials have recently begun reviewing the eligibility of Medicaid recipients, a process that had been suspended during the pandemic. As many as 125,000 residents could lose coverage during the process, the Kelly administration estimates.
The hospital will be built on six acres near the Olathe Medical Center Emergency Room just south of 151st Street. Camber Mental Health is a subsidiary of KVC Health Systems, which has described the new hospital as a $53 million project in total.
While the hospital had been announced previously, KVC President and CEO Jason Hooper said Thursday that Camber was partnering with Children’s Mercy on the project. Hooper, Kelly and others celebrated the future hospital at an event near the site on Thursday that ended with politicians and dignitaries clutching shovels for a photo op.
“I’ve seen the fear of families that are struggling to find services and access services for their loved ones. That ultimately is what brings us here today,” Hooper said.
Underscoring the support the hospital will offer individuals facing mental health challenges and their families, Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat, invited those at the groundbreaking to close their eyes and imagine the person next to them putting a hand on their shoulder. That, she said, is what it’s like to know someone is there to help.
“What we’re talking about today is supporting our community and the people that we know and love,” Davids said.
Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, said the hospital will offer hope.
“The people who struggle with mental health and the people who have suicidal ideation, wouldn’t it be nice for them to know there’s hope,” Moran said. “There’s hope today, but today represents there’s more hope coming.”
