KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) – The Kansas City Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee unanimously passed a proposed ordinance to attract a mental health hospital to Kansas City.
The proposal, introduced by Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and co-sponsored by several City Council members, would authorize the sale of Belvidere Park to the Missouri Department of Mental Health for redevelopment as a Missouri state mental health facility.
“A behavioral health hospital is essential to address the mental health and substance abuse treatment needs in Kansas City, where improvements to the current system are long overdue,” Lucas said. “A behavioral health hospital will provide much-needed care to those struggling to recover and live successful lives.”
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The new hospital will be managed by the Department of Mental Health and University Health and will provide medical care to at least 200 Missourians suffering from mental illness.
Lucas' office said that if the bill passes, it would help hospitals support more than 600 new jobs, ranging from entry-level positions to doctors and nurses.
“This new behavioral health hospital is fantastic for several reasons,” said Charlie Shields, president and CEO of University Health. “It will double the region's much-needed acute inpatient behavioral health capacity and inject an estimated $1 billion into the local economy. Our partnership with the city and state will work to address the critical need for behavioral health services in the region.”
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