Off-campus emergency room set to open in 2023 and a popular coffee chain eyes Olympia
Last summer, Lacey City Council member Lenny Greenstein suggested the county needed a third hospital, citing the increased demand for emergency medical services and longer wait times for ambulances and Medic One vehicles.
The area isn’t getting a new hospital, but MultiCare is now proposing an off-campus emergency department in Lacey that would meet some of that demand, officials say.
The 10,000-square-foot, 10-bed emergency department has been pitched for Pacific Avenue and Golf Club Road — the parcel currently is fenced off — and MultiCare plans to open it in 2023, said Will Callicoat, president of MultiCare Capital Medical Center and the Thurston County Market Leader for MultiCare.
Once complete, it will be the fifth off-campus emergency department operated by MultiCare, he said.
Access to health care is key, but so is geographic access, Callicoat said. The new facility should serve the growing population in Lacey and east Thurston County, including Yelm.
It will be run as an emergency room, so patients can expect to see doctors, nurses and other staff as well as lab and imaging services, he said.
MultiCare opened its first off-campus emergency room three years ago, and patient volume quickly exceeded projections. The Lacey location is expected to handle 15,000 patient visits in the first year, although Callicoat said it could be as high as 20,000.
“It’s emblematic of the need that’s out there,” Callicoat said.
About 20 percent of patients are typically children, so MultiCare is considering either a pediatrician or pediatric-certified emergency care doctor for the site, he said.
The new emergency room will work in concert with MultiCare Capital Medical Center. If a patient needs to be admitted to the hospital after visiting the emergency room, they will be taken to the west Olympia location, he said.
Other MultiCare initiatives in Thurston County:
▪ MultiCare operates Indigo Urgent Care clinics. A fourth location is expected to open in Hawks Prairie next year.
▪ Mary Bridge Children’s Urgent Care, which is part of MultiCare, recently expanded into a three-story building at 422 Lilly Road NE.
▪ Callicoat said he is looking to convene a women’s community advisory committee to provide input on a future health center that focuses on women’s health needs.
▪ MultiCare paid $45 million to acquire Capital Medical Center, but also spent an additional $135 million to acquire property and land associated with the hospital that had been previously sold to a Real Estate Investment Trust. MultiCare has invested in new surgical equipment, beds, an electronic records system, a new phone system and advanced imaging equipment.
Callicoat noted that MultiCare is the eighth owner of the hospital in its 37-year history, which can be hard on a health care organization.
At new employees orientation meetings, Callicoat said he likes to say the following: “We are the final owner, the first local owner and first non-profit owner.”
Other business happenings
The popular coffee chain known as Dutch Bros Coffee is exploring a new location in Olympia at 2124 Pacific Ave. SE, according to city of Olympia information.
“The project proposes building and site alterations to accommodate a new 1,558-square-foot Dutch Bros Coffee with drive-through service window,” the project narrative reads.
There is an existing building on the site that’s home to radio station KRXY, better known as Roxy 94.5 FM. Vice President Jerry Farmer made clear Thursday that the business is very much a going concern and will continue to operate whether it’s in the building or not.
“A 2,800-square-foot commercial building with a drive-through window and canopy is currently on the site,” the narrative reads. “The project proposes to demolish a portion of the existing 2,800-square-foot building to provide one large, covered patio on the east side of the site. The existing drive-through window will be shifted to the south to maximize queuing capacity.”
Critter Control, a business that specializes in the humane removal of nuisance wildlife such as raccoons, opossums, skunks, squirrels, rats and mice, has opened a franchise in Olympia, the business announced.
The franchise will be led by Josh Anderson, previously a sales manager with the company, and will serve Thurston, Lewis and Cowlitz counties. For more information about Critter Control, go to: https://www.crittercontrol.com/office-finder/washington/olympia.
Active real estate developer Kaufman Real Estate LLC is exploring a new warehouse project called the Winemaker Depot at 8991 Select Ct. SE, west of Old Highway 99, off 89th Avenue Southeast, according to city of Tumwater information.
The developer proposes to build a 37,400-square-foot building with both warehouse and office space, the information shows.
If you know of a retailer, restaurant, coffee shop or other business that is opening, closing, expanding, remodeling, or changing its focus, send an email to reporter Rolf Boone at rboone@theolympian.com.
This story was originally published March 25, 2022 at 5:45 AM with the headline "Off-campus emergency room set to open in 2023 and a popular coffee chain eyes Olympia."
