LARNED – A Larned State Hospital employee was hospitalized following an “unprovoked” attack by a LSH patient last Friday, said Cara Sloan, public information officer for Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, the state agency that oversees the facility.

“The incident occurred without provocation and without warning, making is a tragic situation difficult to prevent,” she said. The staff member was taken to the hospital where he was treated for his injuries and is now recovering. 

“For privacy reasons, no further details will be released at this time about either the staff member or the patient,” Sloan said. The incident is being investigated by the LSH special investigator.

Laid out on a 78-acre campus, LSH is the largest psychiatric facility in the state, serving the western two-thirds of Kansas with nearly 1,000 employees and the capacity to treat more than 450 patients daily, according to KDADS. It sits 3 miles west of Larned off of U.S. 156.