Osawatomie — The head of the agency that oversees a troubled state mental hospital is making the case for a new facility.

The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services announced in a news release Thursday that Secretary Tim Keck will make presentations in coming weeks in Wichita, Independence, Topeka and Kansas City.

The announcement came after the agency rolled out a proposal Tuesday from Correct Care Recovery Solutions to build a new hospital at the current location of Osawatomie State Hospital and take over operations. Legislative approval would be required.

Federal officials decertified the hospital in 2015 after a series of inspections uncovered problems. The decertification has cost the hospital about $1 million monthly in federal funding, although a recent successful inspection has moved the facility closer to regaining certification.