WRITER: Chad Lawhorn

Health care leaders gather at KU and predict hospital CEOs are going to have to become political fighters

Your community’s next leading activist may come from a place you wouldn’t expect: the hospital’s boardroom. A panel of health care leaders from across the country gathered at the University of Kansas on Friday to discuss coming changes for small and rural hospitals, and they agreed that the chief executives of those hospitals likely would have to undergo change too. “I look at what the skill set will ...

A wine bar with a serious food menu signs deal to open in downtown Lawrence

There’s no shortage of worries in the restaurant industry these days, but one longtime Wichita operator has crossed one worry off his list: He and his brother/business partner will achieve their goal of expanding into Lawrence. “Restaurants aren’t just going to die,” Wichita restaurant owner Brad Steven told me. “Restaurants are what people love to do. They love to go out and eat and drink. We are ...

LMH, health department release details on providing COVID vaccines to children; multiple opportunities set for next week

Story updated at 4:07 p.m. Wednesday: Two of the largest health care entities in Douglas County are expected to start providing COVID vaccinations for children ages 5 to 11 next week. Both LMH Health and Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health have announced plans to begin administering the vaccine now that it has won necessary federal approvals. LMH said it would offer the vaccine at all of its clinics and ...

City approves recreation centers to house homeless overnight; commission hears changes to snow removal on city streets

Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday agreed to use the gymnasiums of two city recreation centers for overnight shelter of the homeless, despite the city’s fire chief expressing concerns about the safety of the idea. Commissioners at their weekly meeting unanimously approved a plan to use the Community Building, 115 W. 11th St., and the East Lawrence Recreation Center, 1245 E. 15th Street, to each house up ...

KU, other AAU schools get new recommendations on how to address sexual harassment, misconduct

Universities shouldn’t end an investigation into sexual misconduct simply because the employee or student accused of the offense has left the school, one of the leading higher education groups in the country recommends in a new report. Universities also should consider creating policies that require new employees of the university to sign a consent form that allows their previous employers to release any ...

LMH Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas reach agreement on keeping local hospital in health insurance network

Story updated at 6:18 p.m. Monday: The worrying can end for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas patients who feared they would have to start paying more expensive, out-of-network rates to receive care at LMH Health in 2022. LMH Health — Lawrence’s only hospital — and BCBS of Kansas — the state’s largest health insurance company — reached a three-year agreement Monday to keep the hospital and its ...