Wesley Derby ER Celebrates One-Year Anniversary with Linwood Sexton Statue Dedication
WICHITA –Wesley Derby ER celebrated its one-year anniversary today with a special bronze statue dedication honoring long-time Wesley Healthcare board member, Linwood Sexton, along with a special visit from Santa via air transport.
The 11,000-square-foot facility is located at the corner of 63rd Street South and Rock Road and includes 11 emergency room beds, imaging capabilities and an on-site laboratory. Since opening its doors last December, the $10 million freestanding emergency department has started providing outpatient radiology services, opened an outpatient bronchiolitis clinic and has treated more than 18,000 patients.
“Derby and its surrounding communities needed and deserved a medical facility close by and available 24/7 and we have been able to deliver just that,” said Bill Voloch, Wesley Healthcare’s president and CEO. “We have treated thousands of patients at this new facility and are thankful to be this region’s trusted medical provider.”
Sexton was honored at the anniversary celebration with a special “Doctor Is In” bronze sculpture dedicated in his name to the Wesley Derby ER. Sculptor Max Turner’s statue depicts a young boy listening to the heartbeat of his faithful companion, his trusty dog.
“We thought the sculpture fit in well with our city’s collection of bronze sculptures because many of the sculptures are of children and Derby is a very family-friendly community,” said Theresa Hearn, Derby Community Foundation executive director. “We also thought the sculpture fit well with the Derby ER.”
The sculpture is one of 17 bronze statues in the Derby community thanks to the early efforts of the Derby Community Foundation. The Foundation’s founding members were passionate about public art and began directing efforts in 1993 to raise money through community members and memorial funds to purchase the bronze sculptures. These sculptures have become a signature project for the Foundation and now encompass a broader mission of enriching the quality of life in the Derby community by connecting people and resources with community needs and initiatives.
“We are thrilled that Wesley has chosen to make an addition to the sculpture collection in Derby and honor Linwood Sexton, whose son and daughter-in-law, Eric and Kathy Sexton, are prominent Derby residents,” Hearn said. “The Foundation is all about improving our community for the benefit of our residents and we believe the Derby ER has done just that by making needed services available locally.”
Wesley’s emergency departments offer online check-in and average wait times for consumers to review prior to their visit. Wait times for all Wesley locations are available on Wesley’s ER check-in mobile phone app, which also allows patients to start their check-in process prior to arrival at any of Wesley’s ER locations. Wesley is the only hospital in south central Kansas to provide up-to-the minute average wait times for its emergency rooms and commits to achieving an average wait time of less than 30 minutes for adults and less than 20 minutes for children.
The Derby ER is one of five Wesley EmergencyCare Network locations, which include Wesley Medical Center’s main ER, Wesley Woodlawn Hospital & ER, Wesley West ER and the region’s only dedicated pediatric ER. Last year, Wesley cared for more than 150,000 patients in its emergency rooms.