The Kansas Board of Tax Appeals has granted the ten-year property tax exemption for the vacant dialysis clinic at 2526 S. Main.
The board’s order, in Docket No. 2026-3773-IRBX, runs ten calendar years, from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2035, or for as long as the bonds remain outstanding, whichever is shorter. Bourbon County Appraiser Matt Quick provided the order to FortScott.biz on Aug. 13. The copy he sent is stamped received Aug. 3.
The industrial revenue bonds, in an amount not to exceed $800,000, were issued December 30, 2025. The order records $450,000 of that for improvements and $350,000 for personal property, which is already exempt under a separate statute and was not at issue.
What the break covers
The exemption reaches only the portion of the property paid for with bond money. It does not touch USD 234’s capital outlay levy — 7.998 mills, about 4.3 percent of the 186.696 mills on this parcel. Everything else can be abated, including Bourbon County’s share.
It is not automatic, and the paperwork does not end here. A claim has to be filed with the county appraiser before March 1 every year for ten years, and the exemption ends if taxes on the non-exempt portion go unpaid. The order puts that annual filing on the applicant (the city). The city makes the filings, at Moka Rentals’ request.
The 2025 bill on the parcel was $65,343.80, paid in full on Dec. 18, 2025. The first tax statement the exemption can affect goes out this November.
The building, and who owns it
The order describes the property as “leased to Moka Rentals, L.L.C., who uses the subject as a dialysis treatment facility” — the language an exemption order uses for the qualifying use. The building was dark when FortScott.biz visited July 25: no signage, no activity, blinds drawn. It has been empty since Fresenius Medical Care closed it on Sept. 30, 2019.
The building at 2526 S. Main on July 25, 2026. FortScott.biz photo.
The deal runs on two leases, which is how the city ends up a party to a tax case over a building it does not own. Moka Rentals, which the county lists as the owner and taxpayer of record, leases an interest in the property to the city; the city then leases the project back to Moka. That is a standard industrial revenue bond arrangement when the company already owns the building. Wichita used the same structure, drafted by the same bond counsel, for a $134 million project at Wesley Medical Center. Under the Fort Scott project lease, the city’s promise to keep filing for the exemption across the full ten years holds only “[s]ubject to the Project being continually operated as a dialysis center.”
There is still no announced opening date. In late July, the practice manager at Joplin Nephrology Consultants said there were “no updates as of right now” on the project.
HBCAT Shows Measurable Progress in Bourbon County Health Indicators Over Time
Ten years of sustained community work are producing measurable improvements in tobacco use, nutrition, and healthy-weight indicators
FORT SCOTT, Kan. — August 2026 — Ten years after Bourbon County received its first Pathways to a Healthy Kansas grant, long-term data are showing measurable progress in several of the health priorities the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team has worked to address since 2016.
Bourbon County is seeing measurable signs of improved health, with fewer adults smoking, fewer adults classified as overweight, and more adults reporting that they eat fruits and vegetables at least once each day.
Heather Smith, then economic development director for the City of Fort Scott, and Jody Love, then community benefit lead at Mercy Hospital Fort Scott, worked together to write Bourbon County’s successful 2016 application for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas® (BCBSKS) Pathways to a Healthy Kansas (Pathways) grant.
The application was informed by Bourbon County’s Community Health Needs Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan, both written by Love during her work at Mercy Hospital. Local data identified tobacco use, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, chronic disease, and limited access to healthy choices as significant community concerns.
Following the award, Love established and led the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team to implement the Pathways initiative and build the lasting community infrastructure needed to carry the work forward.
At the time of the application, Bourbon County ranked near the bottom of Kansas counties for overall health outcomes. The original grant called for long-term policy, environmental, and systems changes that would make healthy choices easier and more accessible for residents.
Long-Term Indicator Movement
Indicator
Earlier Value
Latest Value
Change
Adults who smoke
21.2% (2018)
16.9% (2023)
More than 20% reduction
Consuming fruit less than once daily
44.7% (2017)
42.1% (2021)
About 6% improvement
Consuming vegetables less than once daily
22.9% (2017)
21.1% (2021)
About 8% improvement
Adults classified as overweight
36.6% (2017)
26.6% (2021)
More than 27% reduction
Lower percentages represent improvement for the fruit and vegetable indicators because they measure the percentage of adults consuming those foods less than once per day.
The original grant application envisioned increased access to healthy food, safer places for physical activity, greater youth and community engagement, stronger cross-sector relationships, and a community culture in which the healthy choice could become the easier choice.
That early work developed into a broader and sustained effort addressing community health, food access, active living, tobacco prevention, economic mobility, entrepreneurship, and quality of life. HBCAT created a structure through which residents and organizations could continue working together beyond a single grant or funding cycle.
Over the past decade, HBCAT has worked with residents and organizations across healthcare, education, economic development, local government, business, and the nonprofit sector. Individual partners and levels of participation have changed over time, but HBCAT has remained focused on the long-term vision established in 2016.
Population-level outcomes are affected by many factors and cannot be attributed to one grant or organization alone. However, the alignment between the priorities identified in 2016, nearly a decade of sustained policy, environmental, and systems-change work, and improvement in several long-term indicators provides strong evidence that HBCAT and Bourbon County’s broader community efforts have contributed to meaningful change.
“When Heather and I wrote the Pathways grant in 2016, we knew meaningful community change would not happen quickly. We have been through hospital closure, leadership transitions, funding challenges, a pandemic, and countless changes in our community. Through it all, we kept building relationships, listening to residents, using data, and working to change the systems and environments that shape health. Ten years later, we are seeing the fruit of that hard work.”
— Jody Love, President and CEO, Healthy Bourbon County Action Team
“Pathways to a Healthy Kansas is grounded in the belief that better health starts long before someone needs medical care. By investing in partnerships, supporting local leadership and addressing the factors that shape health, BCBSKS is helping create lasting change across Kansas communities,” said Virginia Barnes, director of Blue Health Initiatives. “The health improvements we are seeing after a decade of partnership with the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team reflect our belief that real change happens through local leadership, strong relationships and sustained commitment.”
“The numbers matter, but so does what it took to move them,” Love said. “This progress represents years of persistence from staff, residents, volunteers, businesses, organizations, policymakers, and funders who believed Bourbon County could become a healthier place. We still have significant work ahead of us, but we should also pause and recognize that sustained community investment can produce measurable results.”
The original 2016 Pathways application stated that Bourbon County was ready to pursue work that would have “meaningful impact and measurable outcomes.” Ten years later, the community can demonstrate progress toward that promise.
Data cited are from Kansas Health Matters. Available measurement years vary by indicator. The fruit, vegetable, overweight, and adult-smoking indicators referenced here are archived indicators and should be considered alongside local program, policy, and systems-change evidence.
About the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team
The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team works to increase access to healthy food and physical activity, promote commercial tobacco prevention and cessation, enhance quality of life, and support economic growth. HBCAT advances community-driven solutions through resident engagement, cross-sector relationships, resource development, and policy, environmental, and systems change.
About Pathways to a Healthy Kansas
Pathways to a Healthy Kansas is the largest community grant program ever funded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas. The Pathways program provides community coalitions with the tools and resources needed to remove barriers and engage their communities in ways that improve active living, healthy eating, behavioral health and commercial tobacco prevention. For more information, visit bcbsks.com/pathways.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
For more than 80 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas has built a reputation of trust with its members and contracting providers. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and is the state’s largest insurer, serving all Kansas counties except Johnson and Wyandotte. For more information, visit bcbsks.com.
Media Contact: Jody Love | President and CEO | Healthy Bourbon County Action Team | 620-215-2892
The following is a news release issued July 31, 2026 by the office of U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), originally headlined “Sens. Moran, Smith Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Rural Hospitals.” It is reprinted in full, unedited. View the original release.
REH 2.0 makes changes to bolster & improve the original REH Designation
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) this week introduced the Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Improvement Act (REH 2.0), bipartisan legislation to expand access to federal resources for rural hospitals through the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Medicare designation. This legislation would allow more Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) and rural hospitals at risk of closure to sustain health care services in rural communities, and it would make technical improvements to the designation. The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Roger Marshall, M.D., (R-Kan.).
“I have visited every hospital in Kansas numerous times, and these conversations help guide my efforts to make certain health care providers across our state have the support they need to provide critical services to patients in their communities,” said Sen. Moran. “During these visits, providers shared with me their recommendations for strengthening the Rural Emergency Hospital designation so it can better support the struggling facilities it was originally intended to serve. The legislation I am introducing with Senator Tina Smith is the direct result of what we have heard from rural hospitals and health care providers in our states, and it makes needed improvements to the program to help make certain patients can continue to access critical health care services in their communities for years to come.”
“Rural hospitals are vital for families in small towns and rural communities. These hospitals not only provide care close to home, they’re also economic engines for their region,” said Sen. Smith. “But many rural hospitals face increasingly dire financial strain and workforce shortages, forcing them to cut services or even close down altogether. This important legislation is just one tool in the toolbox to help rural hospitals on the verge of closure keep their doors open. Make no mistake, much more is needed to ensure the health and wellness of rural hospitals and families.
“The Rural Emergency Hospital designation has already created new opportunities to preserve health care access in rural Kansas, but experience has also shown where additional flexibility is needed,” said Chad Austin, President and CEO of the Kansas Hospital Association. “The Rural Emergency Hospital Improvement Act represents the next step in strengthening this model by removing barriers that have prevented certain hospitals from participating and by providing commonsense improvements that will help more rural communities maintain access to essential services. We appreciate Senator Moran’s leadership and longstanding commitment to ensuring hospitals have the tools they need to care for their patients today and well into the future.”
“Healthcare access across rural Kansas is at a critical tipping point, with our state facing one of the highest numbers of at-risk rural hospitals in the nation,” said Tripp Owings, CEO of Ascension Via Christi. “The reality is that the needs of rural communities continue to evolve, and hospitals need the flexibility to adapt how they deliver care so they can preserve access and remain sustainable for the long term. When the Ascension Via Christi Emergency Department in Wellington opened in March 2021 to restore emergency services after the local hospital closed, we missed the initial federal REH cutoff by mere months, leaving our facility without a pathway to qualify. We thank Senator Moran for his continued support for rural hospitals in Kansas and we believe that REH 2.0 would provide important flexibilities to ensure more hospitals across Kansas and the country to adapt, stabilize, and maintain 24/7 emergency care close to home.”
“As the first Rural Emergency Hospital in Kansas, SCK Health has seen firsthand how the REH designation can preserve access to high-quality care in rural communities,” said Margaret Grismer, CEO of SCK Health. “The Rural Emergency Hospital Improvement Act builds on that success by providing the flexibility hospitals need to better serve their patients while strengthening the long-term sustainability of rural healthcare. We applaud Senator Moran’s leadership in advancing practical solutions that help ensure rural Kansans continue to receive the care they deserve, close to home.”
“In the fall of 2015, the hospital located in Independence, Kansas closed. Labette Health located 35 miles east of Independence worked with local leaders, KDHE, the USDA, and Senator Moran to open an off-campus Emergency Room, Observation Unit, and Rural Health Clinic on July 4, 2017, in Independence. This REH 2.0 will provide two paths to sustainability for Independence Healthcare Center as either an REH or as a ‘REH like’ facility,” said Brian Williams, President and CEO of Labette Health.
“REH 2.0 will provide needed updates to the Rural Emergency Hospital model by allowing those REH hospitals in America’s most rural and vulnerable areas to provide Swing Bed Skilled services for their communities, along with other vital legislative updates, such as Medicaid payment parity,” said Aaron Herbel, Administrator of Mercy Hospital. “Rural Emergency Hospitals across the U.S., including Mercy Hospital in Moundridge, Kansas, are grateful for the continued support that Senator Moran has showed by authoring this essential legislation.”
The REH Designation Improvement Act is also supported by the National Rural Health Association.
The provisions in the REH Designation Improvement Act are the result of numerous conversations Sen. Moran held with rural health care providers and CEOs of hospitals that are eligible for the REH designation. Originally created with the support of Sen. Moran as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, REH is a Medicare provider designation that offers certain rural hospitals the opportunity to convert and continue operating with limited services rather than closing.
The Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Improvement Act would:
Allow previously closed rural hospitals to re-open and apply for the Rural Emergency Hospital designation if they can demonstrate they met all eligibility requirements between Jan. 1, 2015, and Dec. 27, 2020.
Direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to create a waiver program for facilities operating similarly to an REH in order to convert to an REH.
Allow REH facilities to maintain or create a unit for inpatient psychiatric care, obstetric care and allow for limited inpatient rehabilitation services.
Require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to provide additional funding for laboratory services.
Clarify that REH facilities are eligible for Small Rural Hospital Improvement grants.
Direct the Secretary of HHS to allow an REH to be eligible as a National Health Service Corp site.
Authorize REH facilities to transfer patients from acute care to a Skilled Nursing Facility without leaving the hospital, in accordance with the Social Security Act.
Allow an REH facility to revert back to a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) to regain necessary provider status, only if the facility was designated a necessary provider prior to converting to REH.
Clarify state Medicaid agencies can pay REH facilities as hospitals.
Late in 2025 the Fort Scott City Commission approved a property tax break of up to ten years for the vacant dialysis clinic at 2526 S. Main, to help a Joplin kidney specialist reopen it. Fort Scott has had no dialysis center since 2019. Patients drive to Pittsburg or Chanute, three times a week.
This week, FortScott.biz checked with those involved. City officials say their part is finished. The commission awarded the abatement, the bond paperwork is complete, and nothing more is pending at City Hall. The reopening is now in the hands of the physician who will run the clinic.
The building itself is quiet for now. A July 25 visit found no signage or activity yet, and county records show the property’s 2025 tax bill of $65,343.80 was paid in full. That fits the timeline in the city’s documents, which say the exemption cannot appear before the 2026 tax statement.
Where the building is
Most people know it as the low brick building in front of Walmart.
Bourbon County’s tax record for the parcel (tax ID 002-FS10762B, in the Wal-Mart Plaza Pointe subdivision) answers the abatement question directly.
The building did change hands. The county lists Moka Rentals LLC as the current owner and taxpayer of record. That is the company named in the city’s bond documents as the tenant. Before Moka, the record shows Phoenix Fort Scott LLC, and before that Wal-Mart Stores and Wellington Ft Scott Ltd.
The 2025 taxes were paid in full, with no exemption. For tax year 2025 the county appraised the property at $1,400,000 ($193,790 in land, $1,206,210 in building) for an assessed value of $350,001. At a mill levy of 186.696 that produced a bill of $65,343.80, paid on December 18, 2025.
Tax year
Owner of record
Assessed value
Total tax
2025
Moka Rentals LLC
$350,001
$65,343.80
2024
Phoenix Fort Scott LLC
$377,331
$72,397.38
2023
Phoenix Fort Scott LLC
$422,346
$80,914.32
2022
Phoenix Fort Scott LLC
$413,983
$79,080.28
2021
Phoenix Fort Scott LLC
$395,233
$78,653.34
2020
Phoenix Fort Scott LLC
$389,186
$77,981.20
2019
Phoenix Fort Scott LLC
$396,485
$80,160.54
So when does the abatement take effect? By the terms of the city’s own documents, the earliest it can apply is tax year 2026. Both the resolution and the ordinance say the exemption runs for ten years “commencing in the calendar year following the calendar year in which the Bonds are issued.” The draft bond documents date the bonds December 23, 2025. If they were issued on schedule, the first year the exemption could show up on a tax bill is 2026. Kansas tax statements for 2026 don’t go out until November.
That makes this November’s statement for 2526 S. Main the first place the exemption can appear in the public record.
The county’s appraisal record still lists the structure under its old name, “Fresenius Medical Care Dialysis,” a 7,992-square-foot medical office building put up in 2014.
The deal ran through taxable industrial revenue bonds. Despite the name, the city borrows nothing and owes nothing; it acts as a pass-through so a private project can reach two state-level tax breaks, a property-tax exemption and a sales-tax exemption on construction.
On November 18, 2025, after a public hearing, the commission voted 5-0 to move forward with Resolution 40-2025, declaring it advisable to issue about $800,000 in bonds to acquire, renovate, furnish and equip the building and lease it to Moka Rentals LLC (resolution; minutes).
Dr. Nadine Aboul-Magd, a kidney specialist with Joplin Nephrology Consultants who the minutes say served Fort Scott from 2015 to 2019, told the commission the abatement was essential to the project. The minutes record her saying the reopened clinic would employ at least seven people initially and would add two kidney physicians (minutes).
Steve Robb of Municipal Consulting LLC, who prepared the cost-benefit study Kansas requires before a city grants this kind of exemption, told commissioners the deal would return $9.67 for every dollar the city gave up, well above the 1.3 he called the cutoff for a worthwhile deal, mostly because a dialysis clinic uses a great deal of city water (minutes).
On December 16, 2025, the commission took up Ordinance No. 3792, which authorizes the bonds (ordinance). “There were no changes from what was discussed,” Mayor Tim Van Hoecke said as he introduced it (video, 2:07:39). A staff member called it “just procedural.” The commission voted and the mayor moved on. The city has not posted approved minutes for that meeting, so the exact tally is not on the public record.
Two details in the paperwork are worth knowing:
The break covers the bond-funded share of the property. The exemption applies only to the part of the property paid for with bond money, and it must be applied for. The one levy it cannot touch is the school district’s capital outlay levy, under the statute the resolution cites, K.S.A. 72-53,113 (resolution, § 4). For USD 234 that levy is 7.998 mills (about 4.3% of the 186.696 total on this parcel). Everything else can be abated, including Bourbon County’s share. This parcel sits in tax unit 002, which is made up of the state, Bourbon County, Fort Scott Community College, the city of Fort Scott, USD 234 and the Southwind Extension District (2025 Bourbon County levy sheet). The minutes record the city’s consultant telling commissioners that most taxing entities come out ahead, with minimal impact on the extension district and the community college (minutes).
The break is tied to actually running a dialysis center. The lease says that “[s]ubject to the Project being continually operated as a dialysis center,” the city will make the filings needed to keep the exemption alive for the full ten years (project lease, § 7.4).
What the city, the county and the doctor’s office said this week
On July 29, Mary Wyatt, Fort Scott’s Planning, Housing and Business Development Director, told FortScott.biz the city’s part of the deal is done. The commission voted to award the ten-year abatement, and the paperwork between the city’s bond counsel and the owner has been completed. “It’s all in the hands of the owner at this point,” she said. “The ball is just in their court to get their operations up and running.”
Wyatt said she had not heard from the owner recently. In their last conversation, she said, the owner told her that opening a dialysis clinic is a legally involved process, lining up physicians in particular, and that she wants to go about it carefully, given the building’s history of closing.
Bourbon County Appraiser Matt Quick confirmed that no exemption yet appears in county records. Once the remaining paperwork is complete, he said, the property goes into exempt status for ten years. Quick described the city as the lead on the bond arrangement.
Wyatt said the approval that mattered came from the city commission, because the city is the entity abating the taxes locally. The state’s remaining role, as she described it, is a document that “has to be acknowledged at the state level.”
Quick also sent FortScott.biz pages from the state Division of Property Valuation’s guide to these exemptions, which fills in the steps between the city’s vote and a smaller tax bill. After the bonds are issued, the applicant files an exemption application, called the IRBX form, with the county appraiser, who forwards it with comments to the Board of Tax Appeals. The exemption is deemed approved unless the board schedules a hearing within 30 days of receiving all the information. The break is not automatic once granted. The owner must file a claim with the county appraiser by March 1 each year of the ten; miss the filing, and the property goes back on the tax roll. Those filings square with what the city describes. Under the lease, keeping the exemption in place is tied to the building operating as a dialysis center.
At Joplin Nephrology Consultants, practice manager Heather said there are “no updates as of right now” on the Fort Scott clinic, which she described as Dr. Nadine’s project, and confirmed the reopening is still in the plans.
What the building looks like now
2526 S. Main on the afternoon of July 25, 2026. FortScott.biz photo.The covered patient drop-off at the entrance. There is no signage on the building. FortScott.biz photo, July 25, 2026.
The lot was empty on the afternoon of July 25. There is no signage on the building or at the street, the blinds are drawn, and the covered patient drop-off, the giveaway that the place was built as a clinic, sits unused.
Fort Scott has been losing health care since 2018. Mercy announced that October that it would close the hospital it had run in town since 1886 (FortScott.biz, Oct. 3, 2018). The dialysis center closed the following September. Fresenius did not publicly give a reason for the closure. “I have talked to Fresenius,” then-City Manager Dave Martin said at the time. “They haven’t made money to the point of, they can’t stay open” (FortScott.biz, Aug. 30, 2019). Ascension Via Christi closed the emergency department in December 2023 (FortScott.biz, Dec. 18, 2023). Freeman has been working toward a hospital and emergency department here (FortScott.biz, Jan. 8, 2025).
The building has been empty since Fresenius Medical Care closed it on Sept. 30, 2019. As late as May 2023, its owner at the time said it was still looking for a tenant (FortScott.biz, May 2, 2023).
If the project comes together, that vacancy — and the three-times-a-week drives to Pittsburg or Chanute — would end.
Sending on behalf of Chamber member K-State Extension Southwind District
Community members are invited to build strength, improve balance, and support their overall health through the Stay Strong, Stay Healthy strength training program.
Stay Strong, Stay Healthy
Strength Training Program
August 5th – Sept 23rd Wednesday & Friday
⏰ 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Bourbon County Fairgrounds, in the Yeager Building 2102 S. Huntington Blvd.
This eight-week program meets twice a week for one-hour sessions and is designed to help participants improve their overall health, strength and confidence.
Participants will work toward:
Increasing overall fitness, flexibility and balance
Building muscle and improving bone density
Reducing the risk of frailty, osteoporosis and falls
Meeting new people in a welcoming class environment
Learning exercises that can be continued at home
Exercise equipment will be provided during each class, and participants will receive a handy exercise guide to take home.
Thanks to a partnership with the Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging, the class is offered for a $10 donation only.
Call 620-244-3826 to Register! Registration is required by July 31.
The program is presented by K-State Research and Extension, Southwind District, in partnership with University of Missouri Extension and the Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging.
This is the second in a three-part series on the future of Bourbon County healthcare that is being cross-published by BourbonCountyMonitor.com and FortScott.biz. The first part can be found here.
Fort Scott, KS – Records reviewed by the Bourbon County Monitor show the confidential hospital memo that was posted in a local Facebook group on June 10 was obtained through a single open records request – one filed by former District 3 Commissioner Clifton Beth.It wasn’t the first time Beth had knowledge of nonpublic information regarding the county’s deliberations on the hospital. On March 9, before commissioners first met in executive session on possible legal action over the hospital, Beth called local residents — including a sitting county commissioner — and told them what the commission planned to discuss that night.
Beth was contacted for comment for this story and did not respond by publication time.
The Phone Calls
District 3 County Commissioner Joe Allen says he had never spoken with Beth until he returned a missed call from him at 4:03 p.m. on Monday, March 9 — nearly 90 minutes before that night’s county commission meeting was set to begin.
Allen said Beth told him that Commissioner Gregg Motley was trying to get the county to reclaim the hospital building, but that building owner KRI was in good standing, and urged Allen to call local ER Sales Tax Committee members Dr. Randy Nichols and Charles Gentry to confirm.
Allen said the conversation lasted about seven minutes and was largely one-sided, as he had no information to share with Beth.
At 4:40 p.m., former Bourbon County Review publisher JD Handly called Beth after receiving a request from Beth over Facebook to call him. Handley said it was the first time he had ever spoken to the former commissioner.
Handly said Beth told him Motley planned to call the commission into executive session that night to advocate for legal action to reclaim the hospital building — a move Beth said would mire the county in costly, extended litigation. Beth told Handly that KRI was paying its mortgage on time and that there was no justification for the county to consider reclaiming the building.Handly said the call lasted 19 minutes and 26 seconds, and left him greatly concerned.
At 5:06 p.m., Handly sent a private message to this reporter, Monitor editor Nick Graham. “You need to call me,” the message read, followed by his phone number.
Handly then said he called local citizen Anne Dare at 5:08 p.m., relaying what Beth had told him without identifying his source. Dare confirmed Handly’s account of the call to the Bourbon County Monitor.
At 6:04, this reporter called and spoke to an audibly alarmed Handly. As he had with Dare, Handly relayed what Beth had told him regarding the planned executive session.
The Facebook Messages
In a Kansas Open Meetings Act violation report Dare sent to the attorney general’s office on March 20, she reported the call from Handly as well as Facebook messages she had received from Beth starting at 12:38 p.m. on March 16. The message exchange between Dare and Beth, which was filed with the report, reads:BETH: “I don’t know if you are a Motley fan or not but I think the public needs to know that he is try to take the hospital building back which would be a very costly mistake”DARE: “I talk to Gregg but he doesn’t talk about that with me. I do have questions about how this would be good for the county but I’ve not had the opportunity to ask him.”BETH: “It would be a long drawn out court battle that would cost the county a lot as the contract has been fulfilled ie. We have an ER and the rumor that KRI isn’t paying there (sic) mortgage isn’t true because Legacy holds the mortgage and there (sic) attorney has told me that they haven’t missed a payment along with the fact that they have a sweetheart deal from legacy on repayment but the selfish side of me would love to see them try and fail again and spend lots of money on attorneys”
Facebook messages from Clifton Beth to Anne Dare on March 16, 2026, as filed with Dare’s Kansas Open Meetings Act complaint.
Dare told the Monitor that the report has since been closed by the Attorney General’s office, as they stated there was no way to conclusively prove that a commissioner had leaked the info to Beth.
The Paper Trail
When the memo surfaced in a local Facebook group on June 10, the local resident who posted it wrote that it had come from a citizen who obtained it through a request under the Kansas Open Records Act, or KORA.
To trace the memo’s path, the Monitor asked the county for every KORA request related to it. The county returned a single record: a request Beth filed on May 14.
Beth’s request asked for one thing: “Emails sent from Bourbon County Clerk on 3-7-26 to Bourbon County Commissioners: Sam Tran, Mika Milburn, David Beerbower, Joe Allen.”
The only email the clerk sent those four individuals on March 7 was the one distributing Motley’s memo for the upcoming March 9 executive session.
The records account for how Beth obtained the memo in May. They do not account for how he knew its contents, or how he knew about the commission’s plans for the March 9 executive session before the session was ever held.
Legacy Ties
Beth has had documented ties to the California-based Legacy Healthcare Foundation since shortly after it became involved in the county.
On Nov. 17, 2022, then-county commissioners Beth, Jim Harris and Nelson Blythe donated the Mercy Health Systems property, along with $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, to the Foundation on the condition that the funds be used for building and property maintenance, development of an acute care hospital, and several other specified expenses.
An April 7, 2023, invoice submitted to the county in accordance with the act shows that Legacy paid Osage Construction LLC — Beth’s construction company — $7,300 of those funds for roof repair work on the hospital building.
Beth is also the organizer and sole member on record of Moody Building LLC, which currently holds the deed to the historic Moody Building in downtown Fort Scott. However, in recent weeks city officials have gone on record identifying their primary contacts for the building as California-based Juan Banos and Troy Schell, Legacy Health Foundation’s president and chairman, respectively.
“Who Can He Hurt?”
In an interview with the Monitor, Motley said he did not understand what was driving the leaks.
“I. Don’t. Understand. The. Motive.” Motley said. “What’s Clifton’s motive? He can’t hurt the county case because that rests in the lease and the donation agreement.”
“Who can he hurt? KRI. That’s the only organization to get hurt here,” Motley said.
Motley said one of his primary reasons for trying to restrict the discussion of potential legal action to executive session was to protect KRI.
“Why did I try to do all this in executive session? To protect KRI,” Motley said. “I didn’t want their financial condition broadcast. I didn’t want to say that they are in default of a donation agreement and default of a lease broadcast until we had a plan of action.”
Motley said the county may receive a legal opinion that says that reclaiming the building is not feasible — which, he said, would render the leaks moot.
“We could get in front of an attorney and they say, ‘This is a hopeless case,'” Motley said. “That’s a possibility still. So if we do nothing now, this is out in the wind. Why? Why is it out in the wind? Of what benefit is that to anybody?”
The Monitor sent a request for comment to all seven individuals who had seen Motley’s memo – the commission, the County Clerk, and the County Counselor – asking if they had contacted Beth about the contents of the memo or the topic of the March 9 executive session.By publication time, only Motley, Allen and the County Clerk had responded. We will update this story if we receive further responses.
Public Documents
The public documents referenced in this article are linked below.
Chamber Coffee Hosted by Freeman Fort Scott Hospital
Thursday, June 25th — 8:00 a.m.
Freeman Fort Scott Hospital
401 Woodland Hills Blvd.
McCauley Conference Room
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to attend a Chamber Coffee hosted by Freeman Fort Scott Hospital, 401 Woodland Hills Blvd., this Thursday, June 25, at 8:00 a.m. Guests may enter through the Main Entrance, as coffee will be held in the McCauley Conference Room.
Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served, and attendees may register for a special door prize drawing.
During the Chamber Coffee, Freeman Fort Scott Hospital will share several exciting updates, including the announcement that the hospital has been awarded more than $2.5 million through the Rural Health Transformation Program. The grant funding will support the addition of MRI services at Freeman Fort Scott Hospital, bringing an important and much-needed diagnostic service to Bourbon County while improving access to care closer to home.
The hospital will also introduce Dr. Katrina Burke, who has joined Freeman Fort Scott Hospital as a full-time employed hospitalist. Her addition further strengthens the hospital’s medical staff and supports continuity of care for patients.
Freeman Fort Scott Hospital remains committed to continually evaluating healthcare services and opportunities based on community needs and the hospital’s ability to sustainably provide those services locally.
For more information, contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566. Visit fortscott.com and select the Chamber Coffees category on the Events Calendar for upcoming Chamber Coffee locations.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to attend a Chamber Coffee hosted by Freeman Fort Scott Hospital, 401 Woodland Hills Blvd., this Thursday, June 25, at 8:00 a.m. Guests may enter through the Main Entrance, as coffee will be held in the McCauley conference room.
Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served, and attendees may register for a special door prize drawing.
During the Chamber Coffee, Freeman Fort Scott Hospital will share several exciting updates, including the announcement that the hospital has been awarded more than $2.5 million through the Rural Health Transformation Program. The grant funding will support the addition of MRI services at Freeman Fort Scott Hospital, bringing an important and much-needed diagnostic service to Bourbon County while improving access to care closer to home.
The hospital will also introduce Dr. Katrina Burke, who has joined Freeman Fort Scott Hospital as a full-time employed hospitalist. Her addition further strengthens the hospital’s medical staff and supports continuity of care for patients.
Freeman Fort Scott Hospital remains committed to continually evaluating healthcare services and opportunities based on community needs and the hospital’s ability to sustainably provide those services locally.
We hope to see you there!
For more information, contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566. Visit fortscott.com and select the Chamber Coffees category on the Events Calendar for upcoming Chamber Coffee locations.
NRMC Achieves Sleep Services Accreditation With ACHC
Nevada, MO Nevada Regional Medical Center proudly announces that the Respiratory Therapy Department has renewed its accreditation through Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) for Sleep Lab services upon successfully passing the accreditation survey on June 9, 2026.
This achievement recognizes the hard work, clinical excellence, and attention to patient safety demonstrated by the NRMC Respiratory Therapy and Sleep Lab teams. The accreditation recognizes NRMC’s dedication and commitment to providing high-quality sleep care services, including home sleep testing and in-lab services, in accordance with nationally recognized standards.
“Sleep accreditation validates the quality of care our team delivers every day,” noted Andrea Miller, RRT, Respiratory Therapy Manager. “It confirms that our processes, technology and patient care meet the rigorous national benchmarks.”
“Having accredited sleep services available locally at NRMC allows patients to receive timely diagnosis and treatment close to home, which makes a real difference for individuals and families in our community.”
Sleep disorders can have significant negative health impacts including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, depression, obesity, and more. Symptoms of a sleep disorder include snoring, breaks and pauses in breathing while sleeping, trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, the urge to move legs or uncomfortable feeling in the legs at night, excessive sleepiness during the day, and reduction in concentration, memory, and attention.
If you suspect you have a sleep disorder, please make an appointment to discuss this with your primary care provider, who can recommend appropriate sleep testing at NRMC.
For more information about sleep studies and respiratory therapy services, please visit www.nrmchealth.com/sleep-center, or contact us at (417) 667-3355 ext. 3183.
INDEPENDENCE, Kan. — The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK) is pleased to announce an agreement with Ascension St. John to assume operations of Ascension St. John Primary Care in Independence, Kansas, effective July 1, 2026.
As part of this transition, Ascension will donate the clinic’s building and land to CHC/SEK. CHC/SEK and Ascension St. John are committed to ensuring a seamless transition for every patient.
“We very much appreciate Ascension’s trust in us and are committed to ensuring that every patient in Independence receives the quality care they deserve,” said Krista Postai, CHC/SEK Chief Executive Officer.
This agreement deepens CHC/SEK’s longstanding roots in Montgomery County. The organization first came to the area in 2012 with the opening of its Coffeyville location. CHC/SEK’s Independence clinic, established in partnership with Four County Mental Health Center, opened in 2014.
Moving forward, CHC/SEK will operate two locations in Independence. The new CHC/SEK Independence clinic will open on August 10, 2026, offering primary care services as well as specialty services in collaboration with Ascension. Erica Whitson, APRN-C, will join the CHC/SEK team, providing family medicine services. Walk-in care and pharmacy services will be introduced later in the year.
Earlier this year, CHC/SEK released the results of its 2026 Community Health Needs Assessment, which serves as a blueprint for the organization’s plans to address the region’s largest health challenges. “Our Community Health Needs Assessment made one thing clear: the people of southeast Kansas need more access to care,” said Jason Wesco, CHC/SEK President and Chief Strategy Officer. “Every barrier we remove, whether it’s distance, cost, or availability, is a step toward a healthier community.”
Expanding access to quality, affordable care is not just a goal for CHC/SEK, it is the mission. The organization serves more than 85,000 patients annually across Southeast Kansas and Northeast Oklahoma, a region that faces persistent provider shortages and generational poverty. This investment into the Independence community is one of the many ways CHC/SEK strives to meet these challenges head-on.
CHC/SEK has built its recent growth by developing partnerships aimed at preserving healthcare access in rural communities. Before opening a new location, CHC/SEK works to first understand the community’s unique needs and tailors services accordingly. Over the past several years, the organization has opened clinics in:
Arma, Fort Scott, Mound City, Pleasanton, and Miami, Oklahoma (2019)
Garnett (2022)
Pittsburg State University campus and Bartlesville, Oklahoma (2023)
The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas serves as a healthcare hub for communities in Kansas and Oklahoma. CHC/SEK delivers quality, integrated care to nearly 90,000 patients each year with a goal of improving health, sustaining rural communities, and providing purpose-driven work to 950 staff members. Beyond healthcare, CHC/SEK finds innovative ways to improve lives by focusing on education, housing, and transportation. Regardless of income or insurance status, CHC/SEK ensures everyone receives the care they need. For more information, visit chcsek.org.
Freeman Health System Announces Acquisition of Pinamonti Wellness Center
JOPLIN, Mo. — Freeman Health System is pleased to announce the acquisition of Pinamonti Wellness Center, a respected community-focused fitness and wellness facility known for its commitment to performance, longevity, and whole-person health.
The center is located at 1014 Mt. Carmel Way, Pittsburg, KS.
This strategic investment represents a significant step forward in Freeman’s ongoing commitment to expand access to high-quality orthopedic care, rehabilitation, and preventive wellness services across the region. By integrating Pinamonti Wellness Center into its care network, Freeman is strengthening its ability to support patients across the full continuum of musculoskeletal health, from injury prevention and recovery to long-term performance and well-being.
“This is a meaningful opportunity to bring together two strong programs with a shared focus on patient outcomes and whole-person health,” said Mick Ward, Director of Professional Support for Freeman Health System. “Together, we are enhancing access to services that help patients stay active, recover more fully, and live healthier lives, close to home.”
Located in a modern, state-of-the-art facility, Pinamonti Wellness Center will complement Freeman’s growing Orthopedic Medicine program by offering expanded programming, stronger integration between clinical care and wellness services, and access to leading physicians and care teams.
Freeman Health System also looks forward to supporting the Center’s long-term growth by investing in resources and programming that strengthens community health and empowers individuals to lead more active, healthier lives.
“At Freeman, we believe care should extend beyond the walls of a hospital,” Renee Denton, MO/KS Market President for Freeman Health System added. “This partnership allows us to meet people where they are, supporting movement, recovery, and wellness in ways that improve outcomes and enhance quality of life.”
The acquisition reflects Freeman’s continued focus on expanding access, strengthening communities, and delivering high-quality care where patients need it most.
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About Freeman Health System Locally owned and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System is a not-for-profit health system serving communities across Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas through a network of hospitals, physician clinics, outpatient locations, and specialty services. The system includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital, and the Freeman Health System facilities in Bentonville, Springdale, Willow Creek, and Siloam Springs. Freeman Health System also operates Ozark Center—the region’s largest provider of behavioral health services, and offers comprehensive cancer, cardiology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, and women’s and children’s services. The system is supported by more than 7,000 employees and is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius. For more information, visit Freeman Health System.
Nevada Regional Medical Center (NRMC) was recently surveyed by the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) and has successfully met the requirements for Hospital Accreditation by demonstrating compliance with CIHQ Standards and the Conditions of Participation by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
NRMC was subjected to a rigorous onsite assessment May 19, 2026. The CIHQ team toured the hospital, reviewed medical records, observed care practices, and interviewed staff and patients. The purpose of the survey, to obtain a Stroke Ready Hospital designation, has been in process since early 2026. The Emergency Department team of physicians and nurses have been preparing for several months to ensure a successful outcome. Acute Stroke Ready Hospitals can provide the specialized treatment for patients experiencing stroke symptoms. Stroke program coordinator Melissa Gould, BSN, RN notes, “NRMC has been providing this level of care for some time, however, achieving this special designation at the state level will allow our local EMS crews to deliver patients here rather than traveling to the next closest facility to provide this time critical intervention. When it comes to stroke care – time is brain. Our goal is to provide our patients with rapid evaluation and administration of clot busting therapies to ensure the best possible recovery outcomes.”
“CIHQ’ goal is to partner with hospitals to improve the care provided in our communities,” states Richard Curtis, Chief Executive Officer of CIHQ. “CIHQ is proud to recognize Nevada Regional Medical Center for achieving accreditation and reflects NRMC’s commitment to safety and quality patient care.”
NRMC will submit this accreditation to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ Time Critical Diagnosis System to apply for designation as a Level III Stroke Center.
