The Kansas Open Records Act grants you the right to inspect and obtain copies of public records created or maintained by public agencies in Kansas. The Open Records Act, K.S.A. 45-215 et seq. (PDF), as amended, declares that it is the public policy of Kansas that "public records shall be open for inspection by any person." Public records are defined as "any recorded information, regardless of form or characteristics, which is made, maintained or kept by or is in the possession of any public agency." University of Kansas Medical Center is classified as a public agency for the purposes of this Act.
You have the right to request assistance from the Medical Center's Freedom of Information Officer at any time. You have the right:
You must request records -- written, photographic, or computerized. The Kansas Open Records Act does not require an agency to answer questions, prepare reports, or compile information.
An agency may require you to put your request in writing, and you must provide proof of your identity, if requested.
Reasonable fees, not exceeding actual cost, may be charged for access to records, copies of records, and staff time for processing your request.
Consult with our Freedom of Information Officer,
Steffani Webb
Vice Chancellor for Administration
KU Medical Center
Executive Vice Chancellor's Office
3901 Rainbow Blvd
Kansas City, KS 66160-7100
Telephone: 913-588-1400
to determine if the record you need exists or is available, to ask questions about the Open Records Act, or to obtain assistance in
resolving disputes relating to the Act. Debra Brogden (same address and telephone number as above)
is the designated official Custodian of Public Records, and requests for inspection and copies of records should be directed to her.
Regular office hours on all business days, excluding Saturday and Sunday are from 8 a.m. to noon, and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Records may be inspected during those hours.
The university is closed on official holidays.
The University of Kansas Medical Center asks that you submit a written request to obtain public records. Please include the following information in your request:
Debra Brogden
Custodian of Public Records
University of Kansas Medical Center
3091 Rainbow Blvd, MS 2015
Kansas City, KS 66160
dbrogden@kumc.edu with the subject line: Open Records Request
Charges for the service shall be collected in advance.
Agency records shall remain in the possession and control of an agency staff member during inspection and/or duplication.
All efforts will be made to process your request for public records as soon as it is received; however, some requests may be delayed or denied if:
Requests may be denied in whole or in part if:
If the request is delayed or denied, you will receive a written explanation for the delay or denial within three business days.
Permission to inspect or copy public records may be denied if (1) the request "places an unreasonable burden in producing public records" or (2) the custodian of the records "has reason to believe that repeated requests are intended to disrupt other essential functions of the public agency." Denial of a person's inspection or copying request will be explained in writing upon request.
Copies of radio or recording tapes or disks, video tapes or films, pictures, slides, graphics, illustrations or similar audio or visual items or devices shall not be required to be furnished unless such items or devices were shown or played to a public meeting of the Kansas Board of Regents or other public body.
Fees shall be charged for the provision of access to and the copying of public records. Fees for copies shall equal the actual cost of furnishing copies, including the cost of staff time required to make them or supervise the copying. Fees for providing access to computer records shall include the cost of computer services, including staff time required.
In accordance with this provision and the Kansas Open Records Act, K.S.A. 45-215 et seq., the following fees may be charged for providing access to or furnishing copies of public records:
The Kansas Open Records Act recognizes that certain records contain private or privileged information. The Act lists several exceptions, including but not limited to:
A complete list of exemptions can be found in K.S.A. 45-221.
An agency is only required to provide public records that already exist. There is no requirement for the agency to create a record upon request.
Nothing in the Open Records Act supercedes federal law, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (Buckley Amendment).
If a record is only partially exempted from disclosure, the Record Custodian shall delete the exempted materials and make available the material that is subject to disclosure. Records which are exempt because they pertain to an identifiable individual are subject to disclosure if deletion of the identifying portions of the records is possible.
Public records more than 70 years old are open for inspection without regard to the above-listed exemptions. Disclosure of such records is prohibited only if federal or state law so provides.
If you have questions about the Act or the university's policies under it, contact Freedom Information Officer, Steffani Webb, at 913-588-1400, or e-mail swebb@kumc.edu
The information contained in this brochure pertains to laws in effect on July 1, 2000.
January, 2001; revised 09.19.2008
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The University of Kansas Medical Center