On Monday, November 28th, PrairieStar’s much-awaited new Pediatrics Clinic will open to both new and existing Pediatric patients. The clinic includes an expanded area with exam rooms, a laboratory, a vaccine room, and a procedure room that will be used for both medical procedures and integrated dental care. It also enables PrairieStar to have a space that can withstand nature’s worst in Reno County.
“We are excited to be able to offer families with young children and teenagers a state-of-the-art facility for their pediatric needs,” said Bryant Anderson, Chief Executive Officer. “This facility enables us to increase the number of pediatric patients we are able to serve, and adds several benefits to our facility in times of severe weather.”
The $2.1 million dollar project was funded through a $1 million dollar Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) competitive grant and by PrairieStar. Health Resources and Services Administration funds were made available through the Capital Assistance for Disaster Response and Recovery Efforts (CADRE) program, which was created by HRSA for facilities that lie in areas readily impacted by natural disasters that occurred during the 2019 calendar year. While tornadoes are the primary disaster that is considered in the Midwest, it was actually area wildfires that made PrairieStar eligible for the grant funds.
“This new expansion allows for PrairieStar to maintain operations in the event of a natural disaster while maintaining the excellent standard of care that our community is accustomed to receiving,” said Mona Broomfield, Chief Quality Officer.
The space is outfitted with an independent electrical system, plumbing, internet service, data servers, and concrete walls that will withstand an EF5 tornado. In the event of a natural disaster that would incapacitate or destroy the PrairieStar facility, the CADRE build enables PrairieStar to continue operations on an emergency basis within the 12-inch-thick walls of the new facility.
“Our new Pediatrics Clinic is just one more way that we are making sure our community has access to award-winning healthcare when they need us most,” said Anderson.
PrairieStar provides care to both the insured and uninsured regardless of their ability to pay. PrairieStar Health Center has received 44 national quality awards from HRSA since 2015 for being a national quality leader in providing outstanding family medicine, pediatric care, increasing access, use of technology in a healthcare setting, and more.
To learn more about the CADRE grant, visit https://bit.ly/cadre-hrsa-pshc.