Dole VA Medical Center plans three-year expansion project

The Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center in east Wichita will be expanding over the next three years, officials said Wednesday.

The projects include three new buildings and expansion of existing facilities and services, a VA news release said.

“We have prepared and submitted compelling construction proposals to grow and meet the needs of our Veterans,” Francisco Vazquez, Dole VA Medical Center director, said in the release.

The expansion includes:

▪  A primary care building, construction of which is underway and expected to be completed in summer 2016

▪  A 9,000-square-foot emergency department building that will be adjacent to the primary care building

▪  An imaging building that will house a positron emission tomography – computed tomography and CT scanner as well as add three ultrasound rooms.

▪  An 18,000-square-foot surgical suite and sterile processing expansion.

▪  And a new inpatient behavioral health unit that will comprise eight to 12 inpatient beds for psychiatric treatment.

“Some projects will provide additional services and patient capacity while others will add much needed space for programs currently in existence,” Vazquez said.

The VA did not disclose cost of the new projects.

This story was originally published September 30, 2015 at 5:08 PM with the headline "Dole VA Medical Center plans three-year expansion project."