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KDADS reports South-Central mental hospital on schedule; surveyor vacancies near 50% hamper facility oversight
Summary
KDADS said construction of a 104-bed South-Central Regional Mental Health Hospital in Wichita is advancing toward a planned 2027 opening, but agency officials warned nearly half of state surveyor positions are vacant and proposed pay reclassifications to recruit staff.
Scott Bruner, KDADS deputy secretary for hospitals and facilities, told the Bethell committee that construction has begun on the state’s 104-bed South-Central Regional Mental Health Hospital in south Wichita and remains on track for completion in late 2026 with admissions expected in January 2027. Bruner said in-ground utilities are installed, foundations poured and precast concrete and structural work were well under way.
Bruner said Sedgwick County has received $25 million in SPARK funding distributed for project cashflow. He also noted the new regional hospital will be a state agency and that county partners are preparing to operate the facility and accept forensic admissions as authorized by last year’s legislation.
On oversight and enforcement, KDADS and the Kansas long-term-care ombudsman had previously testified about shortages among surveyors — the registered nurses and other professionals who inspect nursing homes and licensed adult care facilities. Bruner said KDADS currently has 61.5 surveyor positions and 32 positions filled, a vacancy rate of roughly 48% as of June 1. He said KDADS has tried recruiting both RNs and LPNs and that low pay and travel/time burdens are primary obstacles.
KDADS has submitted a personnel proposal to the state personnel office to reallocate funded but vacant positions and use the funds to raise entry pay for registered nurse surveyors and make pay adjustments for existing staff. Bruner told lawmakers the starting pay for a new registered nurse surveyor is about $64,000 per year; the agency proposal would increase the starting rate closer to $70,000.
The deputy secretary said KDADS also uses alternatives to increase hospital-level capacity for psychiatric patients, including contracts with community hospitals and state institutional alternatives. He called the increased state hospital capacity needed to reduce wait times for patients approved for admission but unable to find beds.
Ending: Bruner asked the committee to consider the personnel reclassification proposal as a practical way to recruit surveyors and reduce inspection backlogs; lawmakers indicated interest in interim committee follow-ups on surveyor staffing and enforcement policy.
