MANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW) – Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan celebrated the reopening of its main visitor entrance during a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier this week.
The visitor entrance, located on the northeast side of the hospital, had been closed for about five years following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During that time, all patients and visitors were routed through the patient entrance or the emergency department.
Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan celebrated the reopening of its main visitor entrance at a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier this week. (Ascension Via Christi in Manhattan)
“We know that navigating a hospital can be stressful, and having to enter through the emergency department wasn’t the welcoming experience we wanted for our community,” said Drew Talbott, interim hospital president, who led Monday morning’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Reopening this entrance is about more than just unlocking a door — it’s about making access easier, reducing confusion and properly welcoming our neighbors into the facility.”
The visitor entrance will serve as the primary point of entry for guests visiting loved ones.
● Hours: Open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
● After Hours: Visitors arriving outside of these hours can use the phone located at the entrance to contact security for access.
Hospital officials said the reopened visitor entrance offers a “much-improved flow” for discharging patients.
Families can now pick up discharged patients without driving to other areas of the hospital.
Patients needing to check in should continue to use the patient entrance.
Copyright 2026 WIBW. All rights reserved.