A planned osteopathic medical school in Wichita is looking to address the need for more doctors in Kansas, Dr. Robert Hasty said during a visit to The Mercury last week.

We certainly hope it addresses the underserved and the rural needs for the state, including Manhattan and the region, said Hasty, who is the chief academic officer and founding dean of the Kansas Health Science Centers planned Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine. Hasty said the proposed school is going through an accreditation process and is in the early stages.

Its going to improve healthcare for generations to come, Hasty said. And its going to improve the lives of Kansans and folks in the whole region.

Hasty said the Sunflower State ranks 40th out of the 50 states when it comes to doctors per capita.

The school hopes to grow to a staff of 85 over the next 10 years, Hasty said.

The school is planning to open for its first year in 2022 with an enrollment of 85 students. He said he hopes to grow up to 170 students.

It is a project costing $125 million, Hasty said.

The school, which is nonprofit and private, is the first in over 100 years in Kansas, Hasty said. Its proposed location is in downtown Wichita at the old Macys store. Hasty said the building will maintain state-of-the-art facilities while keeping in line with the architecture of the area.

The proposed institution also has a 15-member board with physicians and other community and business leaders serving.

The school is looking at applications for filling faculty roles from a pool of out 185, Hasty said.

The Mercury reported in 2017 that Manhattan was considered as the site for the osteopathic medical school after Gov. Sam Brownback appointed a task force to study the idea. A consultant tabbed Manhattan, Topeka and Wichita as possible locations.

Before arriving in Kansas, Hasty was the dean at the first medical school in Idaho, the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine in Meridian.

Osteopathic medicine is different from allopathic (traditional) medicine in that it takes a whole body approach to health care.

However, osteopathic physicians are board-certified and fully licensed to diagnose and treat illnesses, prescribe medications and perform surgery.

Graduates of osteopathic schools are more likely to go into primary care, which is the area of greatest need in rural Kansas. Ninety-two of Kansas 105 counties are considered medically underserved.

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Director says Wichita's new planned osteopathic medical school will help doctor shortage - Manhattan Mercury