One of Kansas’ two mental hospitals is losing federal Medicare funds because it falls short of meeting federal regulations.

The Wichita Eagle (http://bit.ly/1J0Gey0) reports state officials were told Friday that Osawatomie State Hospital would receive no Medicare funds for patients admitted after Monday.

That means the state will have to pay for the care of new patients at the eastern Kansas facility. Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services secretary Kari Bruffett says the hospital intends to seek Medicare re-certification immediately.

Inspectors raised safety concerns earlier this year at the hospital, including fixtures in the ceilings that patients could use to hang themselves. The hospital put a cap on the number of patients it admits while it made renovations, creating a waiting list that has persisted since June.

—
Information from: The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle, http://www.kansas.com.