Galichia Pledges Quick Service at ER

The full-service hospital is trying to increase awareness of its emergency department by promising a wait of 15 minutes or less.

Galichia Heart Hospital is promising a wait to see a physician of 15 minutes or less in its new emergency department.

With the $3.8 million, 14-bed emergency department that opened in May, Galichia is working to raise awareness of the full-service hospital, where emergency staff are on standby 24 hours a day.

"We want to give five-star hotel kind of service," said founder and cardiologist Joseph Galichia. "We're going to see you right away with friendly people, the most skilled staff and the best technology available at that point. We want to minimize bureaucracy."

The hospital has been working to increase its ER patient volume, where executives believe misconceptions about what the hospital offers have hindered growth expectations.

The short wait time is unique to the acute-care Galichia hospital, which is generally unconstrained by trauma patients and emergencies that are automatically directed by EMS to trauma centers at a Via Christi Regional Medical Center or at Wesley Medical Center.

Walk-in patients at those hospitals can anticipate longer wait times -- sometimes several hours -- for those reasons, and also due to sheer volume.

Wesley, for example, fielded 70,558 patients in its emergency room last year. Galichia Heart Hospital's ER has seen about 3,600 patients since it opened.

Wesley's average wait time to see a doctor is roughly 59 minutes, a spokesperson said. Galichia hospital averages 10 minutes.

"Fortunately we don't have these high-trauma patients coming into the ER, so we kind of have a leg up on the other places," Galichia said. "It's not a criticism of them, but that's the way we constructed it."

Galichia admits a 15-minute guarantee to see a physician is a big statement, implying there's some reward if a patient waits longer. Most likely, that patient will get a personal apology from the hospital's chief executive.

It's about the philosophy the hospital wants to ingrain in Wichita's health care culture, Galichia said. He wants to see the hospital known for fast, reliable, quality care.

"We're saying, if you think you have an emergency, you've come to the right place," he said. "We have a pretty dynamic situation -- doctors on staff right here, the clinic right across from the hospital. This is our goal, and we believe we can do that."

~ Andi Atwater • The Wichita Eagle
316-268-6642 or aatwater@wichitaeagle.com