When minutes matter

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Oct 25, 2007

Stormont-Vail HealthCare

Stormont-Vail HealthCare's emergency room saw nearly 42,000 patients last year, and demand is expected to grow.

To meet that need, Stormont-Vail broke ground in May on a new trauma center that will have room for expansion in the future.

"Our Emergency Department has served the community well over the years, but the current facility was not built to accommodate the increased number of patients nor the advanced technology needed in today's emergency care arena," said Maynard Oliverius, Stormont- Vail HealthCare president and chief executive officer.

The new building going up at S.W. 8th and Washburn will have two entrances - one for ambulances and another for walk-in patients. It will be divided into four treatment areas - critical care emergency rooms, routine emergency treatment rooms, a minor treatment area and a trauma resuscitation unit. The triage and registration areas will offer more privacy and will have a more spacious waiting area for the comfort of patients and visitors.

Twelve additional critical care beds and an eight-bed clinical decision unit will be located on the second floor. The third and fourth floors of the new construction will be shelled space that may be finished in future years as the space is needed.

Stormont-Vail has the only trauma program in the region outside of the Kansas City metro area that is verified by the American College of Surgeons. The Stormont-Vail trauma program uses a team approach proved to provide better outcomes for critically injured patients.

When Stormont-Vail is notified a patient meeting trauma activation criteria is on the way, an alert is sent to staff throughout the hospital. For the most severely injured patients, an entire team of health care professionals rushes to Stormont-Vail's trauma resuscitation unit. Most are there when the patient arrives.

The team includes a trauma surgeon and, depending on the injuries, can include a neurosurgeon and/or orthopedic surgeon. Much like an alarm in a fire station, the alert sends staff running to prepare for the patient's arrival. When minutes, even seconds, count, having the team there can save precious time in what's referred to as the "golden hour" after an injury occurs.

Planning for Stormont-Vail's Emergency and Trauma Center has been under way for more than two years. The new facility will replace the existing Emergency Department built in 1951 in Stormont-Vail's south patient tower. Ground was broken on the new project in May and completion is expected in late 2008.

More building

Two other major construction projects also are under way at Stormont-Vail. A complete renovation of the hospital's south patient tower continues, and a new medical office building near S.W. 10th and Lane is nearing completion.

The south patient tower renovation project includes a floor by floor remodel of the hospital's original patient tower. When completed, every floor will feature more spacious patient rooms able to accommodate the latest technology in patient care, while providing a comfortable environment for patients and families.

Already complete is the Neonatal Intensive Care unit on the second floor and the Total Joint Center and Spine Center on the third floor. Work will continue during the next few years until all floors are complete.

The new medical office building and ExcellENT Surgery Center is being built by Stormont-Vail HealthCare and Topeka Ear Nose and Throat. Construction was started in April and is targeted for completion in December.

It will house the Topeka ENT practice and two procedure rooms for outpatient ear, nose and throat surgeries. It will be two floors, with 12,000 square feet on each floor.

Growth of the Topeka ENT practice created the need for the new facility, and the practice recently added a fourth physician. The new space will allow for continued growth and will combine the physician practice with outpatient surgery rooms into one location.

"We are pleased to be working with the Topeka ENT physicians on this project," Oliverius said. "The goal is to provide easy access to quality care for the growing number of patients who need ear, nose and throat care."