Health care is big business in Wichita. With 17 acute-care and freestanding specialty hospitals, the region is a hub for comprehensive care.

As the state's largest health-care provider, Via Christi Health operates hospitals, outpatient centers and home services throughout the region. Its latest contribution is the new Via Christi Hospital, slated for a 2010 opening. Located in west Wichita, the hospital boasts leading-edge emergency services, private patient suites, high-tech labor and delivery suites, and state-of-the-art operating rooms.

Across town, Via Christi Hospital on St. Francis offers Kansas' first and largest Level I Trauma Center and a neuroscience center that includes a comprehensive stroke center, advanced care for epilepsy patients and Kansas' only neuro critical care unit. And at Via Christi Hospital on Harry, patients have access to advanced medical and surgical intensive care units, a senior behavioral health unit and the Robotic Surgery Institute.

Wichita's Wesley Medical Center is home to the Wesley Children's Hospital and delivers more babies than any other hospital in a 13-state region. The tech-savvy center also provides robotic-assisted surgery, while advanced cancer treatment is provided using the Trilogy stereotactic radiation system. The non-invasive procedure allows doctors to deliver higher doses of radiation more precisely and with fewer treatments, eliminating inoperable tumors and helping patients recover faster and with fewer side effects.

The city's comprehensive medical centers are complemented by a diverse offering of specialty hospitals with services ranging from rehabilitation and spinal care to behavioral health and cardiac care.