KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Officials with the University of Kansas Medical Center say a $25 million donation from the Hall Family Foundation will allow the center to construct a medical education building.
The foundation’s donation, announced Tuesday, will be the lead gift for the $75 million building on the Kansas City, Kan., campus.
The medical center has sought to build in the education center for years, saying its accreditation was threatened by its current outdated structure.
The Kansas City Star reports the new building will allow the medical center to train more students in updated facilities that reflect modern teaching methods.
Kansas Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little said the Hall Family’s donation made construction of the building possible.
In the midst of persistent drought, proper treatment of trees, shrubs and other plants becomes even more important. In “Green & Growing,” Kansas State University Extension’s Holly Dickman offers a multitude of tips and tricks to get the most out of your greenery — by using the least amount of water necessary.
The latest episode on the series, which focuses on planting annual flowers, can be seen HERE. The episodes also air on Eagle Community Television Channel 14 at 9 a.m. and noon Monday through Friday.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Adam Dunn hit a three-run homer and the Chicago White Sox defeated the Kansas City Royals 7-6 on Tuesday night.
Andre Rienzo (4-0) limited the Royals to two runs and five hits over six innings. He struck out a career-high eight.
The Royals’ record dropped to 5-15 against American League Central opponents.
Gordon Beckham and Conor Gillaspie, who each had three hits, singled before Dunn homered in the eighth off right-hander Aaron Crow, who had allowed two three-run homers in his past two appearances.
Beckham has hit safely in 13 of his past 15 games, while Gillaspie increased his average to .347.
Royals rookie right-hander Yordano Ventura (2-4) took the loss, allowing four runs and seven hits, including a Tyler Flowers home run, in six innings.
The Hays High girls’ soccer team took care of business Tuesday, defeating Great Bend 4-0 in the opening round of the 5A South Central Region 3 tournament at the Hays High Field.
The Indians (13-3-1) scored within the first 30 seconds and held a 1-0 halftime lead. They then controlled the second half for their third straight win.
Hays went 3-0 against the Panthers (0-17) this season, outscoring them 11-0.
The Indians advance to Thursday’s regional final against Goddard-Eisenhower. The Tigers blanked Liberal 3-0 and are now 12-4-1 on the season.
That match will be at the Hays High Field and start at five o’clock.
The TMP-Marian softball season came to an end Tuesday, losing 8-1 to top-seed Beloit in the semifinals of the Ellsworth 3A Regoinal.
The Trojans scored single runs in the first and third to take a 2-0 lead then took control with four in the fifth then added two more in sixth.
The Monarchs scored their lone run in the top of the seventh. Alison Helget allowed the eight runs on 10 hits, striking out two in the loss. Katelyn Zimmerman had two of the Monarchs five hits as they end their season 8-14.
TOPEKA — State health officials are looking for possible connections in seven reported cases of kidney failure commonly caused by a type of bacteria sometimes found in food.
A total of seven cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome have been reported to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The cases have not been confirmed yet, according to KDHE spokeswoman Sara Belfry.
“We continue working with local health departments as well as hospitals to confirm these cases,” Belfry said in an e-mail.
The cases are in Sedgwick, Harvey, Cowley, and Nemaha counties. Four of the patients remain hospitalized. Belfry said privacy laws prevent her from giving any information about the age, gender, or condition of the patients.
Officials at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita confirmed that three children are, or were, being treated there for hemolytic uremic syndrome.
“I can confirm that we treat patients with hemolytic uremic syndrome. I can confirm that we have had some in the recent time period,” said Joann Paul, Wesley’s director of quality, infection prevention and safety.
Paul said the cases appeared to have been caused by E. coli infection, which is the most common—but not the only—cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome. A toxin produced by the bacteria causes cells to break down, resulting in micro blood clots, which can clog the kidneys and sometimes other organs.
The potentially-deadly condition most often affects children and the elderly. Cooking meat thoroughly and washing hands before handling food are the best ways to prevent the infection.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, is raising concerns about whether the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has strategically used the Office of the Medical Inspector (OMI) to conduct investigations into allegations of wrongdoing at VA facilities knowing the findings would not be released to the public. Unlike reports from the Office of the Inspector General (IG), OMI reports are not made public or released to Congress. Sen. Moran plans to introduce legislation this week to make certain the findings of the OMI are made public so the full scope of the VA’s dysfunction cannot be disguised.
“An important component of an investigation at the Department of Veterans Affairs would be the Office of the Medical Inspector reports,” Sen. Moran said at Thursday’s Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing. “One of the things we’ve discovered is those are not made public and not submitted to Congress, so we don’t know the results of those types of audits, investigations or reviews. I’m pursing legislation to change that so we can see what a report says – excise the names and keep the confidentiality of patients – and see if a recommendation is followed.”
According to OMI, their Blue Cover Reports contain conclusions and recommendations for improvement, based on findings from a case investigation or national assessment. The OMI’s recommendations may be for an individual facility, a Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) or all of VHA. The Under Secretary for Health approves all OMI final reports, and in response to a final report, VA facilities, VISNs and VHA program offices – as appropriate – prepare action plans to address report recommendations. VHA policy requires that the Secretary of the VA receive a packet on each report from the Under Secretary for Health including the final report. Because OMI reports are not available to the public and have not been previously released to Congress, it is impossible to know whether the VA has taken action to implement the OMI’s recommendations for improvement in each case.
For example, the same Cheyenne VA Medical Center under fire for wait-list manipulation after a whistleblower leaked an email shedding light on the violations being committed was already the subject of an Office of the Medical Inspector report in December 2013. That report already investigated and substantiated claims of improper scheduling practices, and passed them along to the Office of Special Counsel, but the report was only leaked after the whistleblower went public this month. It is still unclear if any action was taken at the Cheyenne VA Medical Center based on the OMI findings in 2013.
It is also unclear what criteria the VA uses to select either the Office of the Medical Inspector or the Office of the Inspector General with conducting investigations into VA wrongdoing.
“If the past is an indicator, I’m not confident these new reports will lead to any action. It’s what the VA does with the findings that matters,” Sen. Moran said.
Sen. Moran’s legislation will require the VA to submit a Report to Congress on the findings and recommendations stemming from any Office of Medical Inspector report over the last three years – which were not released to Congress or the public. It will also require the VA to describe any legal or administrative action taken against employees who should not be serving veterans and whether such action was followed through.
Sen. Moran has been a member of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees for 18 years, chaired the Health Subcommittee in the House for two years, and has worked with nine VA Secretaries. The hearing followed Sen. Moran’s call for Secretary Shinseki to resign amidst ongoing systemic dysfunction within the VA system.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A woman accused of pretending to be pregnant to scam prospective adoptive parents in Kansas and elsewhere will remain held without bond while awaiting trial.
A federal magistrate judge in Kansas City, Kansas, ruled Tuesday that 34-year-old Chrystal Marie Rippey, of Marshall, Texas, is a serious flight risk. Rippey’s attorney did not immediately return a phone message.
Rippey was indicted in February on federal charges of mail and wire fraud.
Prosecutors allege Rippey contacted adoption agencies and individuals, pretending she was pregnant and seeking to give up her unborn child for adoption. The indictment says prospective parents bought her meals and gifts, believing she was willing to let them adopt her baby after birth.
GOODLAND (AP) — Just days after finishing the second of several planned trips through Kansas this year, former Sen. Bob Dole has announced the schedule for his next visit.
The 90-year-old Russell native toured 16 communities of northeast, central and south-central Kansas last week. On Tuesday, aides announced he’ll return next week for three days of stops in western Kansas.
The tour begins May 28 with stops in Goodland, Sharon Springs, Oakley, Colby, Hoxie and Quinter. The following day, Dole will be in WaKeeney, Hill City, Norton, Oberlin and Atwood. He’ll finish up May 30 at the public library in St. Francis.
Dole lives in Washington and is making the homecoming tour to greet longtime supporters and friends throughout the state.
His Washington office said his schedule this time includes the following times and locations, all events open to the public and free (all times Central unless otherwise indicated):
Wednesday, May 28
Goodland – On the Bricks, 1530 Main St.; 10-11 a.m.
Sharon Springs – venue to be announced; noon-1 p.m.
Oakley – Buffalo Bill Cultural Center, 3083 U.S. 83; 1:45-2:45 p.m.
Colby – Colby Community College Student Union, 1255 S. Range; 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Today A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 4pm and 5pm. Some of the storms could be severe. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. North northeast wind 11 to 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Tonight Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly between 11pm and 2am. Some of the storms could be severe. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. East northeast wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, although higher amounts could be possible. Thursday A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4pm. Some of the storms could be severe. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. East wind 9 to 13 mph. Thursday Night Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly between 8pm and 11pm. Some of the storms could be severe. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. East wind 7 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, although higher amounts could be possible. Friday A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. Southeast wind 9 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Friday Night Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, although higher amounts could be possible.
ATCHISON, Kan—Two Kansas men died in a two-vehicle head on crash in Atchison County on Tuesday.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Ford Expedition driven by Richard L. Jacobs 77, Topeka, was traveling northeast on U.S. 59 six miles southwest of Atchison.
The vehicle went left of center and collided head on with 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Joel M. Wilburn 25, Atchison.
Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.
The KHP reported Jacobs was not wearing a seat belt.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Officials with the University of Kansas Medical Center say a $25 million donation from the Hall Family Foundation will allow the center to construct a medical education building.
