News & Issues
KDADS analysis identifies 11 communities with greater mental health needs
A Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services official said Thursday that the agency has identified 11 communities that appear to be referring inordinate numbers of patients to the state hospitals for mentally ill or have above-average numbers of inmates in the state’s correctional systems who are known to be mentally ill. “We’ve been going…
Typecasting teachers
With debates over teacher tenure and educator evaluations happening in Kansas and Missouri, it’s easy to see how teaching may be one of the most maligned professions. This summer, as part of a course at the University of Saint Mary’s, local practicing educators took a hard look at how teachers are portrayed in television and…
Olathe Medical Center opens facility for final stage of life
Olathe Medical Center officials say they have added a building block to their vision of providing cradle-to-grave care. On Wednesday, in front of a crowd of about 300 donors, employees and other well-wishers, the hospital officially opened a freestanding inpatient hospice on its land at Interstate 35 and 151st Street. “In the early 1980s, when…
Mothers gather at interfaith vigil 1 month after Michael Brown's death
A month after the death of Michael Brown — the allegedly unarmed black teen who was shot and killed by a white police officer — community members gathered Tuesday evening at Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church in Kansas City, Missouri, for an interfaith prayer vigil. The service, titled “Mother’s Prayer,” was led by Rev. Betty…
Kansas seeks to address prison guard ‘correctional fatigue’
A new program in Kansas aims to improve conditions in prisons, but it’s not for inmates. The state Department of Corrections is one of many prison and jail systems around the country working to overcome “correctional fatigue” — the mental and physical stress that lead to corrections workers burning out. From Orange Is The New…