By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

With the announcement Wednesday of the signing of a letter of intent to create a partnership between Hays Medical Center and the Kansas City-based University of Kansas Hospital, a variety of enhanced patient services could come to the area. But, for now, many of the details remain to be worked out between the two groups.

“We now have many, many more meetings to try to figure out what we can do with this, but the potential is just enormous,” said Dr. John Jeter, HaysMed president and CEO.

He noted the University of Kansas Hospital has experience with academic and urban care, while HaysMed has experience in rural care. He said the combination could benefit both hospitals as practitioners learn from one another. Smaller, local hospitals could benefit, as well.

“We’ve got a lot of issues to work through, but I think we’re really hopeful that, eventually, this is going to benefit anybody out here that wants to be involved,” Jeter said.

The partnership, Jeter said, will also allow HaysMed to stay relevant in the light of rapidly changing health care, and will likely create growth for the hospital.

“It allows HaysMed to bring patient care and quality to a level that we could not accomplish by ourselves,” he said.

While details are likely months away, Jeter outlined some of the tenets included with the letter of intent, with a plan to execute the agreement in early 2017.

RELATED: FAQ on HaysMed, University of Kansas Hospital partnership.

The partnership will be directed by an operations council made up of both organizations, but CEOs at both organizations will stay in place and staff will remain currently employed by their organizations.

Jeter believes they will continue to do business as HaysMed, but likely will include wording to include the part of the University of Kansas Health System.

“We are proud of our name. We think we have a good reputation. We want to keep it and that is part of the agreement,” Jeter said.

In the short term, he said HaysMed will start to see leading edge developments that happen at an academic medical center come to Hays quicker than they would otherwise.

“I think we should be able to provide more cutting-edge technology, much quicker here in the next couple of years,” Jeter said.

He also said the partnership will assist in physician recruitment and retention and will help grow the HaysMed brand.

In the next two to five years, Jeter said the agreement will likely add to the menu of services available at HaysMed and, with an eye even farther out, he said the partnership will help support rapid changes to the health care system.

“This is probably the best opportunity we have to make sure that this institution continues to remain relevant,” he said.

Just the signing of the agreement, however, brought a lot of excitement about the prospects of the venture.

“Now that this is official, I think everybody is getting excited,” Jeter said.

Before signing the agreement, HaysMed looked at partnerships with other hospital systems, but the University of Kansas Hospital was the best fit.

“One of the things important to our board is that we affiliated with a Kansas-based company,” Jeter said.

The University of Kansas Hospital is a privately owned company that meets that requirement, and he pointed out that the relationship is not with the university the hospital shares its name with.

“This is not the University of Kansas that this relationship is with — it is the University of Kansas Hospital, which is seperate from the university,” Jeter said.

The foundations of the partnership began after the two hospitals worked together on a government award.

Jeter said during that process the hospitals “worked exceptionally well as one team.”

The partnership will create the Univeristy of Kansas Health System and, in the future, Jeter said other hospitals might join the system. But, for now, the focus is on developing the partnership with HaysMed.

The system includes the two hospitals and HaysMed will officially be a part of the system end of day Dec. 31.

“Our goal is to provide the kind of help for communities so they can be and stay healthy,” Jeter said.

Hays Medical Center

The University of Kansas Hospital and Hays Medical Center announced a letter of intent has been signed for a partnership to improve access to patient care and extend the commitment of high-quality care shared by both hospitals throughout the state of Kansas.

Leaders of HaysMed and The University of Kansas Hospital say they share a long-term vision to enhance and extend comprehensive, high-quality, cost-efficient healthcare in a not-for-profit setting for Kansans and to transform healthcare delivery throughout Kansas.

The two organizations will work through the partnership details this fall, and will plan on implementation of the partnership early next year.

John Jeter, MD, will continue as the CEO of Hays Medical Center, and Bob Page will continue as president and CEO of The University of Kansas Hospital. Staff will continue to be employed by their current organizations.

The Hays Medical Center Board of Directors will remain in place as will The University of Kansas Hospital Authority Board. A new operations council, made up of members from both organizations, will be formed and tasked with directing the partnership.

Both organizations are currently in solid financial and operating condition and are coming together at a time of strength for each.

“This partnership will be focused on improving the health of Kansans,” says Page. “The University of Kansas Hospital has a responsibility to the entire state, just as Hays Medical Center has been a leader in providing quality care to western Kansas.”

Dr. Jeter notes, “This partnership is about improving clinical care, the patient experience and the value of our services to patients.”

Dr. Jeter says it is difficult for a hospital to remain independent, even one like Hays Medical Center which provides many unique services to western Kansas.

“By partnering with The University of Kansas Hospital, the state’s only academic hospital, I believe we will see leading edge medical developments come to our patients more quickly,” predicts Dr. Jeter.

Both Dr. Jeter and Page say the partnership will identify opportunities for collaboration between both organizations to enhance care quality throughout western Kansas. The leaders say the two organizations will be able to provide more care options to a greater number of patients.

“We know The University of Kansas Hospital serves patients locally, regionally and nationally. This marks a step for both organizations to move into a health system structure. Over time, we will look at other partnerships across Kansas, into Missouri and even other neighboring states,” adds Page.

Page notes the partnership will enhance local care for patients in western Kansas, and provide more seamless access to complex care. The University of Kansas Hospital accepted over 1,100 high acuity transfer patients (a 17% increase from FY15) from all around the region last year because they needed a level of care that isn’t readily available within their community hospitals.

This announcement comes after several years of discussion about how the two hospitals could collaborate. Dr. Jeter and Page note the two hospitals have worked together successfully on patient care for years. Both hospitals are very involved in the successful Kansas Heart and Stroke Collaborative, established through a major federal award to The University of Kansas Hospital, which worked with HaysMed and critical access hospitals to improve patient outcomes for heart and stroke patients in Western Kansas.

For more on the story, check Hays Post as additional details become available.

According to the National Weather Service, Ellis County Emergency Management officials responded to reports of flooding along the north fork of Big Creek on Wednesday morning.The flooding occurred 4 to 5 miles north of Hays, according to the report.

A flood warning will be in effect until 10:30 a.m., the NWS warned, advising drives to avoid driving in high water.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

There was an earthquake and then flooding Sunday morning–both unusual for the region.

A strong 5.6 earthquake in Pawnee, Oklahoma at 7:01 a.m. Saturday rocked residents from Texas to Nebraska, and was felt by many people in Hays.

Early Sunday morning, slow-moving storms caused flooding in portions of Ellis and Russell counties.

After areas north of Hays received more than eight inches of rain, Big Creek and other streams began to swell Sunday afternoon.

Brooks Barber, Cirrus Weather, took pictures of Big Creek flooding in Hays.

In Victoria, it was reported 13-foot-deep flood waters from Big Creek covered the road near the railroad bridge.

 

FHSU University Relations and Marketing

The public is invited to a construction preview for the newest academic building on the Fort Hays State University campus.

An update on construction of the Center for Applied Technology and Sculpture is set for 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7, in the circular drive on the west side of the Memorial Union. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held in the Sunset Atrium of the Memorial Union.

Construction on the building is ongoing at the corner of North College Drive and Eighth Street, just northwest of the Memorial Union on a former parking lot. The CATS, set to open in fall 2017, will be the new home to all of the industrial technology programs, technology and engineering education and a sculpture/art studio.

The 58,000 square-foot structure will feature two stories on the front and a story and a half near the rear of the building, with a facade that accents the traditional limestone look of the FHSU campus. The building will also feature an iron and millwork covered entryway and other classic industrial characteristics.

At one end of a two-story, glassed-in atrium area near the front entrance will be a small social cafe nook. Completing the center of the atrium will be two seminar classrooms and an area that will be used for symposiums, technology days and student recruitment.

Video by Cooper Slough

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

ELLIS – For 30 years, Arthur’s Pizza and Mexican Foods, 103 W. Ninth in Ellis, has delivered a unique combination of food to locals. And, in celebration of three decades, the restaurant will have special deals through the week.

While serving food is a big part of their lives, for owners Gilbert and Cheryl Kinderknecht, being involved in the community is an important part of working and living in Ellis and something Gilbert attributes in part to their sustained success.

“I think a lot of it’s that we’re local ourselves. My wife is from Hays and she been a longtime resident there. I’ve been lifelong here,” Gilbert said. “We do a lot of local history, as you can see on the walls. Everything is about Ellis.”

They bought the restaurant 19 years ago after the original owner was open for 11.

“I decided that I wanted to be home and this actually fell in our lap in about a three-month period,” Gilbert said, noting previous employment required a lot of time away from his young daughter.

And even though his daughter is now out of the home, he has no plans on moving on from the restaurant.

“I plan on being here for quite a while yet,” he said.

As for the unique fare, it was just a part of what the original owner wanted in a restaurant.

“The reason there are pizza and Mexican foods is because, 30 years ago, there were really no restaurants in town except hamburgers,” Gilbert said. “So the gentleman that started it worked for a pizza place, started his own restaurant and liked Mexican also.”

Over the years, he said the popularity of the unique menu allowed for even more menu items.

“It’s a niche, even though there are more restaurants in town now. We have everything from Mexican, breadwiches, pasta, Mexican food, pizzas, specialty pizza. So we’ve got a lot of items,” Gilbert said.

But that doesn’t mean they cut corners.

“Our food is fresh, we make it every day here, five batches of different kinds of dough. We think we care enough. We hope that’s a part of it,” Gilbert said.

The exclusive rights to sell Popt popcorn in Ellis was recently brought into the restaurant as well.

While unique food may make the restaurant stand out, a strong connection to the community makes it a local favorite.

“We just believe in being community minded,” Gilbert said, noting recent projects with the Ellis Recreation Commission and the public library.

“I just like visiting with people,” he said.

Arthur’s Pizza and Mexican Foods is open Thursday through Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., with closing hours extended until 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Delivery is also available.

To find out more about the restaurant, or see specials for the anniversary month visit their facebook page here.

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

Two weeks after the police-related shooting death of Joseph Weber on Aug. 18 in Hays, approximately 25 community members gathered around the Hays Police Department between 7 and 8 p.m. in silent protest.

While some came specifically in response to the lack of information that has been released around the incident, most came to raise awareness of autism and a perceived lack of training for police officers in ways to handle people with special needs.

For more on the story, click below.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

There were jokes about using an air horn, installing deer whistles on the planes and hiring a deer hunter.

Those alternative suggestions by Hays city commissioners would cost considerably less than installing a $2 million wildlife fence around the perimeter of the Hays Regional Airport. The FAA is requiring the city to install the 10-foot-tall chain link fence–with an additional 1-foot-tall outward angled outrigger and 3-foot buried skirting to deter animal digging–in order for the city to continue receiving FAA grant funds for future airport project.

Assistant City Public Works Director John Braun told commissioners the city has purposely pushed off the project since 2013, but now the FAA wants it built in the summer of 2017. The project cost is a 90/10 split with the city’s total share coming to about $200,000.

“What happens if we don’t do this?,” asked City Commissioner James Meier. “I know the short answer is we don’t get any more FAA money but is that until we do it (install the fence) or that we don’t get any more FAA money, period?”

Braun said the FAA would not approve any additional Hays Airport Improvement Projects (AIP) until the fence is built.  “This is their number one priority,” agreed City Manager Toby Dougherty, “so nothing gets done until this is addressed.”

Meier asked what else is on the AIP the city wants FAA grants for that makes the city willing to comply with the mandatory wildlife fence.

Braun listed replacement of the airport loader which is over 20 years old, reconstruction of the easternmost Taxiway I, and ponding and drainage issues on the apron that need to be addressed–projects planned to be done during the next three years and eligible for FAA grant monies.

“Ultimately, there is consideration for a parallel taxiway on the crosswind runway. SkyWest has concerns that our current taxiway is quite narrow relative to their jet especially on the turning radiuses. So we’ve got a project in the works to widen out at least the turning radiuses and maybe ultimately the taxiway to make it safer.”

“We’re in pretty good shape right now,” Braun acknowledged. “We rebuilt the runway in 2013. We just did a substantial concrete patch job on the crosswind runway.”

Dougherty pointed out the FAA also participates in land acquisitions. “One of the things we’ve had in our Comprehensive Plan is if we could acquire land contiguous somewhere on the east side of the airport. Right now, we’re kind of at our limit for airplane hangar space. So if you could acquire more land, you could have more hangars. That’s something that may materialize extremely quickly and FAA participates 90 percent…I would hate to have this thing looming over us.”

Although he hasn’t looked into it, City Attorney John Bird said “it occurs to me that it could raise an issue with EAS (Essential Air Service). I don’t know what happens if the FAA says ‘this airport has been told to build a fence and they haven’t yet.’ I don’t know if it’s going to divert any flights from Hays.”

City Commissioner Lance Jones and Vice-Mayor Shaun Musil both said they have hit deer with their own vehicles. “I can only imagine what it would do to a jet plane,” Jones said.

“The probability is low but the severity is high,” said Braun.

“I just think it’s the idea of spending $2 million on a fence that…,” Meier started saying, “…that seems ridiculous,” concluded Musil. “I don’t like the price but I don’t think we have a choice,” Musil added.

Mayor Eber Phelps concurred. “I guess it’s time to bite the bullet. We’re trying to ramp up (passenger) boardings right now and it’d be a shame to jeopardize that with our air carrier and the new (morning flight) schedule.”

Commissioners agreed to move the wildlife fence design phase forward as an action item at the Sept. 8 meeting.

And, that idea of hiring a deer hunter, isn’t so far-fetched after all.

According to Assistant City Manager Jacob Wood, the city of Salina “pays a guy to shoot deer on their airport property. They also have a wildlife fence,” Wood told commissioners after the work session concluded.

City Manager Dougherty requested a 25-minute executive session before the meeting’s end for discussion of labor negotiations and confidential material related to proprietary information to include the city commissioners, city attorney and assistant city manager. No action was taken.

Commissioner Henry Schwaller was absent from the work session.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Although the city of Hays doesn’t necessarily consider it a priority, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does.

Constructing a 10-foot-tall wildlife fence around the Hays Regional Airport property is now at the top of the city’s Capital Improvement Project list.

According to Assistant City Manager Jacob Wood, the city must move forward with a wildlife fence or there will be no more grant monies from the FAA for eligible projects at the Hays airport.

“Several years ago when the FAA was out here inspecting, they saw a couple of deer on the property and they did require the city to do some more investigation. And so the FAA feels like it warrants a fence.

“It’s not something that’s been high on our priority list. It’s been something we’ve kind of pushed back,” Wood noted. “But over the last couple of years it’s crept up on the FAA’s list as a priority so it’s something they’re really requiring us to do.”

“It is part of the FAA’s program so it’s a 90/10 match. The city pays for 10 percent of the project and they’ll pay for the other 90 percent,” he explained.

City commissioners will hear more about the design phase of the project–a cost of $100,000–during their work session Thursday, Sept. 1. The actual construction of the $2 million fence is expected to occur next year.

The city of Hays’ total expenditure on the wildlife fence will be about $200,000, Wood said.

See tonight’s city commission work session agenda here.

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

Thirteen days after the police-involved shooting death of Hays resident Joseph Weber, 36, most details related to the Aug. 18 shooting still are being withheld as rumors swirl through the community about the identity of the officers involved and the threat posed by Weber during the brief encounter with police that led to his death.

Frequent requests for further information to be released to Ellis County Attorney Thomas Drees have been so far been rebuked as the investigation continues.

“When the KBI gets me the report, we’ll be able to assess it. Until then, I doubt there is going to be any type of update,” he said Monday afternoon.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigati0n office in Great Bend on Monday again said any information would be released through the office of the Ellis County Attorney and had no comment when more information would be released.

Drees was also hesitant to give any time frame on the release of additional details.

“I do know they are working diligently on it,” he said.

While the community waits for information, two aspects of the incident are generating the most controversy and speculation: Was Weber armed during the incident with police and who fired the fatal shot?

Drees warned putting out the name of the officer involved without a thorough investigation complicates his ability to work – and live – in the area.

“You go to those states where they throw up the picture and the name of the officer when there is a shooting, check back six weeks later, six months later, they don’t work for that department. Most of them end up out of law enforcement,” Drees said, adding they cannot do their jobs effectively if the information is released — even if no wrongdoing is found.

And if wrongdoing is found, he said action would be taken.

“If there is wrongdoing, we will release his name. … If he has committed a crime, we will charge him,” Drees said.

In the meantime, many in the community and online news sites have offered the name of the officer involved and claim Weber was unarmed.

Neither piece of information is based on information that has been released or based on any factual evidence.

At this time, there has been no witness to the shooting publicly identified, nor has anyone came forward who saw the shooting.

“That’s the problem. People just make stuff up instead of waiting for the real information,” Drees said.

What is known so far

While the details of the shooting remain undisclosed, some information has been released.

According to an early news release from Drees, following an Aug. 18 traffic stop in which Weber reportedly refused to follow commands, he left the scene and then was pursued by responding officers for several minutes until the situation escalated.

At approximately 2:41 p.m., one shot was fired by a Hays police officer, striking the driver, who later died from the gunshot wound, according to the release.

Nationally, the time frame of the release of information in police-related shootings is hit-and-miss.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the Washington Post reported 626 police involved shooting deaths this year, with the names of the involved officers being released in more than one-third of cases.

There is no national directive on the release of information in these cases. Instead, the policies vary state to state.

Under Kansas law, investigatory information in criminal cases is not public information.

However, in other police-involved shootings in Kansas this year, detailed information about the incident was released almost immediately.

On April 14, the KBI released specific information surrounding the death of Jeff Robertson, 54, McPherson, including the altercation that led to the shooting. The names of the officers involved in that case were not released by authorities, nor was the name of the victim.

Robertson was described by family as mentally ill.

In another police-involved shooting incident in Butler County on March 11, details surrounding the incident were released the next day, although again the officers were not named. In that case, the man killed, Manford “Butch” Moore Jr., 51, was identified.

While publicly known, Weber has not been confirmed by authorities as the man killed in the incident in Hays.

Recently, national attention has been given to police involved shootings, leading to the development of a task force on 21st Century Policing.

The final report from that group released in May 2015 did not give specific guidelines on the release of information in police-involved shootings, but did give a directive.

“When serious incidents occur, including those involving alleged police misconduct, agencies should communicate with citizens and the media swiftly, openly and neutrally, respecting areas where the law requires confidentiality,” the report said.

The report also suggested local community oversight into police activities.

A call to the Kansas Attorney General’s office to clarify state guidelines on the release of information in a police-involved shooting had not been returned Tuesday afternoon.

‘All we hear is silence’

While questions remain unanswered, the group Justice for Joey, which helped organized two candlelight vigils held in Hays and Oakley, has announced a silent protest planned for 7 p.m. Thursday outside of the Hays Police Department, 105 W. 12th.

“We want to show those involved with the investigation that we are listening to them, but all we hear is silence,” the announcement said.

SUBMITTED

(Video and photos by Guy Windholz)

Friday’s Fall Art Walk sponsored by the Hays Arts Council included 23 venues featuring amazing visual arts exhibitions and fabulous “arts-in-action” with live music, ceramics wheel throwing and an iron pour.

The “Metal Masters on Main”–Lance Wadlow and Toby Flores, worked on 10th Street,  just west of Main. According to Flores, a Fort Hays State University associate professor of art and design and a sculpture artist, they poured 700 pounds with Wadlow’s blast furnace called “Lil’ Ed.”

With a little help from their friends, scrap iron was dumped into the smelter, poured out in molten form, wheeled to the mold and then poured in and left to cool. Saturday morning the molds were removed and the finished product revealed.

OAKLEY — There will be a candlelight vigil Monday in memory of a man killed this month in an officer-involved shooting in Hays.

Joseph Weber, 36, was killed Aug. 18 in a residential area of Hays. Details of the incident have yet to be released by officials, citing a continuing investigation into the shooting.

The candlelight vigil is scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. Monday at Oakley High School Stadium. Click the image above for more information.