Wesley Healthcare
January 30, 2013

Surgicare of Wichita, LLC. will be unveiling its new state-of-the-art surgery center tomorrow, January 31st to a group of regional medical professionals and dignitaries at an evening reception. The 29,000 sq. ft. surgery center located at 2818 N. Greenwich Road started construction in late 2011.

“After a year of construction, I am delighted to share that our beautiful facility is ready to start seeing patients,” stated Tracie Johanek, Surgicare Administrator. “So much planning has gone into the development of this new facility and we are so excited to finally be able to share it with everyone.

The new center has been carefully designed to accommodate the surgical needs of the 21st century, offering greater efficiency for its patients, physicians and staff. The facility features eight operating rooms and two procedure rooms for its ninety-nine attending physicians. Each operating room is approximately 500 square feet. The facility has a few unique features, including construction of reinforced concrete walls in the interior of the building in the event of a tornado.

“With the increase in the use of technology, we have seen the need for changes in many areas of providing patient care in the surgery center. We will be ready and able to accommodate the use of an electronic medical record, digital radiology imaging and web-based patient medical histories. Our spacious operating rooms will accommodate the equipment used today in surgical procedures. Additionally, the center will provide increased comfort and privacy for patients and increase the efficiency of the patient flow from scheduling to patient discharge. This efficiency is designed to improve the experience for everyone - the patient, our employees and our surgeons,” shared Johanek.

Surgicare will continue to offer multi-specialty surgery services including ENT, gynecology, orthopedics, general surgery, podiatry, GI and ophthalmology. While the majority of their current business is ENT, an increase in orthopedic surgery business is expected. With the larger facility and increase of services, Surgicare hopes to able to also increase its work force.

“Of course, the plan is to increase the number of procedures performed at Surgicare of Wichita in our new facility. Additional staff will be added as those numbers increase,” stated Johanek.

As part of the facility opening celebration, Surgicare of Wichita founder, M. Robert Knapp, M.D. will be in attendance to help kick-off the next phase of Surgicare’s history. In 1971, the Wichita physician began to plan a freestanding surgical center to serve the City of Wichita and environs. Knapp had attended medical school at New York University during the final year of World War 2 and completed training in anesthesiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He began anesthesiology practice in Wichita in 1955. Although the many benefits that would be provided by the new surgery center concept was explained by Knapp to all interested parties, the road to approving construction and licensure required all the faith and perseverance Knapp could muster. His efforts paid off and the first patient underwent surgery at the Minor Surgery Center of Wichita on February 19, 1974.

For more information about Surgicare of Wichita, LLC., please contact Tracie Johanek, Surgicare Administrator at 316.685.2207 or visit surgicareofwichita.com.

Media Tours: Tours of the new facility will be available to media representatives from 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm with Surgicare Administrator Tracie Johanek and Surgicare founder M. Robert Knapp, MD.