Wesley to expand west Wichita emergency room

Wesley Medical Center announced plans Tuesday for a $1.3 million expansion of its Wesley West Emergency Room and Diagnostic Center, 13th and Tyler, to accommodate more patients and add minor emergency care services, called Ready Care.

Wesley expects to start construction in September and finish in the first quarter.

Wesley also has its main hospital emergency room, a pediatric emergency room, its Galichia Heart Hospital emergency room and the west-side center. Last year, Wesley saw nearly 120,000 patients in its emergency rooms.

Last week, Wesley announced its intention to open a $10 million emergency room in Derby next summer. Bill Voloch, Wesley Medical Center’s president and CEO, would not discuss the company’s overall strategy regarding the emergency rooms.

At its west-side facility, Wesley will add four beds to the 11-bed, 24-hour facility, as well as the Ready Care area, which offers care for minor emergencies such as sprains, sore throats and ear infections.

Voloch said Ready Care visits are billed the same as emergency room visits. But patients would see a midlevel provider rather than a physician. Wesley’s main campus also has a Ready Care clinic.

The Wesley West Emergency Room and Diagnostic Center, Voloch said, was designed with space to grow, so the project will involve converting storage space into additional rooms.

The Ready Care area, Voloch said, would operate only during peak hours – likely late afternoons and evenings.

This story was originally published July 28, 2015 at 10:38 AM with the headline "Wesley to expand west Wichita emergency room."