By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Construction noises and breezes from huge fans moving the hot still air echo through a brick building in south Hays that has been mostly vacant for several years. It's being transformed into the new home of KVC Hospitals in Hays, as part of a new partnership with the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS).
In January 2023, the new location will be providing acute inpatient and residential juvenile psychiatric services for youth ages 6-18 experiencing a mental health crisis. All the current KVC psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) services at the Hadley Center, 205 E. 7th, will relocate to the bigger facility.
The downtown site also housed acute patients from 2010 to 2019 following the closure of the children’s hospital at Larned State Hospital. KVC cited CMS' (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) licensure as a reason they closed the acute beds in Hays. CMS required KVC to have acute patients and residential patients in separate spaces. The new facility will allow that.
The space is leased from HaysMed, which purchased the former NEW building in 2016 and operates several hospital business departments in the east end of the facility.
U. S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-KS, a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and a former Hays resident, was invited to tour the remodeling project last week.
"This is designed to meet the unique safety, security, and therapeutic needs of youth receiving both levels of treatment," said Bobby Eklofe, MHSA, KVC Hospitals president, as he and Sarah Berens, LSCSW, Hays clinical director, walked with Moran through the building. "It's our own space."
There will be 32 rooms available in segregated areas, 18 PRTF beds relocating from Hadley, and 14 new acute beds.
According to Eklofe, residential treatment can last up to 120 days. Length of stay is different for each child, but typically, a child receiving care in acute care stays four to six days
The acute program serves youth who are struggling with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, the impacts of trauma and other behavioral health needs.
The acute program's goal is to help stabilize children and return them home as soon as safely possible, equipped with the skills, support and resources they need to continue treatment in their community
KVC estimates the larger facility will allow for serving an additional 600 youth each year.
Western Kansas residents have priority admittance, according to Berens, adding that most clients are between the ages of 10 and 13. "It's a tough age for kids," she said.
KVC has had services in Kansas City, Kansas and Wichita for some time.
"It's not unusual for parents to be driving three or four hours to find a bed for their child. We wanted to make sure we brought the services closer to them," Eklofe said.
"We're very fortunate to be able to work with partners like High Plains Mental Health Center, Hays Medical Center, the police department, the fire department, and other community leaders to be able to put this out here," Eklofe said. "We'll be able to provide safe, secure, and treatment-focused spaces for children."
The facility includes therapy rooms, visitation rooms, a dining room, gymnasium and learning labs, where innovative treatment and education will teach youth about their brains and how to regulate their emotions.
Movement throughout the living areas is unobstructed while still supporting privacy and maintaining safety and security.
Cameras and motion sensors using state-of-the-art technology will be placed throughout the building for enhanced digital monitoring in addition to the direct supervision of employees 24-hours a day.
A secure play area will be located just outside the door on the south side of the building. "It gives them the space to simply be kids while ensuring safety," said Eklofe.
Some additional staff will be hired, including a psychiatrist. Most of that staff will be specialized positions in nursing as well as clinicians for the acute program.
"We're very fortunate to have quite a few direct care staff [already] in our residential program," Eklofe added.
KVC has also partnered with Fort Hays State University, working with students and interns in the departments of social work, psychology, counseling, and nursing "to get their feet wet in this profession," said Berens. NCK Tech nursing students have also worked with KVC, doing clinical rotations.
Berens, a Colby native, is herself an FHSU graduate. She earned her master's degree from KU.
KVC staff members have also been recruited from FHSU job fairs with interest coming from students in criminal justice and teaching.
"We've had people come into direct service with teaching degrees, [working] with those clients that really need that specialized care. They've been able to utilize the skills that they're learning at the college level to get some experience and really hone their skills," Berens said.
She's eagerly anticipating the opening of the new facility.
"I think it's such an opportunity to truly provide the therapeutic care that is so needed," Berens said.
"These kids deserve to have the best and we're able to be a step in that right direction.
"It's so exciting to have acute care back in Hays and for northwest Kansas. It's always something that we've loved providing. It's so exciting and so needed."
Editor's note: CORRECTION: This article was updated July 28 to reflect corrections in the additional number of children expected to be served (600) in the new hospital as well as the typical length of stay for residential treatment (120 days).