Wesley Medical Center kicked off construction of its $28 million children’s hospital in Wichita today. KMUW's Abigail Wilson has more.
The addition will be completed in the fall of 2016. Renderings of the facility include brightly colored lobbies, a play area and a new facade on the hospital's Hillside Street exterior. The current Pediatric Intensive Care Unit will also be completely renovated.
Dr. Stephanie Kulhmann, medical director for pediatric services at Wesley, says the project provides important details like improved sleep rooms for parents and caregivers and work spaces where they can continue employment and household obligations while their child is hospitalized.
"It's these little things that really mean a lot and can be impactful for that family, that child during the healing process," Kulhmann says. "Having a children's hospital is really not just a little thing. It really extends beyond the walls of this facility. It extends beyond the community of Wichita. It really extends to the state of Kansas."
Wesley Children's Hospital will be the region's first and only children's hospital.
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