Come in Today, Go Home Today
Hamilton Ambulatory Surgery Center
If you need hernia surgery these days, or a biopsy or arthroscopic surgery or a hysterectomy or - well, you get the picture-it's more than likely you'll undergo the procedure and go home the same day.

Today, in fact, more than 60 percent of all surgeries are outpatient, meaning that the patient is operated on, recovers and leaves the hospital within a few hours. This trend toward more outpatient health care has exploded nationwide over the last decade, due mostly to better technology and the need to reduce costs.

Hamilton Medical Center is responding to this need with its new Hamilton Ambulatory Surgery Center, a 22,000- square-foot facility, located at 1250 Broadrick Drive, specifically designed for outpatient procedures.

With the latest in medical technology, four large operating suites, an efficient circular layout, and a comforting and well-lit lobby, the surgery center "rivals any ambulatory surgical center found in the Southeast," said Gary Howard, senior vice president at Hamilton Medical Center.

The trend toward more and more outpatient surgeries made Hamilton's existing facilities inadequate for those procedures.

"We built the new surgery center to keep current with the trend of freestanding outpatient facilities," said Howard. "It provides better access, better convenience and better efficiency for elective surgeries. And it's a less clinical environment-more family-like-which is important for patients' well-being. This is a state-of-the-art center that meets the needs of the people in this area so they won't have to go elsewhere for the same treatment."

Latest equipment and efficiency

The design and layout of the surgery center became an important step in the process. By creating a facility that makes efficient use of space and direction, Hamilton takes the idea of quicker, better procedures further.

The first things patients and their families see, of course, are the lobby and the rooms. And even they were designed with the patient in mind.

"Patients want a nice waiting area, lots of light, and soothing, large rooms. The surgery center gives them that, and more," said Gary Howard.

The entire facility works to the patients' and staff's advantage. Primary recovery and pre-op areas were designed for patient privacy, and the operating rooms are larger than what's currently at the medical center.

"It's a custom-made center designed for the proper flow," said Rick Fromm, M.D., a general surgeon involved in the development of the surgery center. "Patients move from the waiting area to the operating area, then after their procedure they go to a recovery room area around the corner (Phase I and II recovery). It's all designed for efficiency and flow, so the patients coming in won't be mixed with people who've already had surgery."

The center is a contained facility, which means that almost everything the patient needs can be handled there, including minor lab work. Its four operating suites contain the latest equipment including advanced laparoscopic cameras, surgical lights and supporting equipment, and C -arm X-rays that allow radiographic views.

The surgery center also provides the most qualified staff, one dedicated to ambulatory patients - from board-certified surgeons to experienced anesthesiologists to skilled registered nurses who've been trained at major medical centers like Hamilton.

Benefits of outpatient surgery

Outpatient procedures offer a number of benefits, not just to patients but to insurance companies and hospital staff as well.

For patients and insurance providers, outpatient procedures are much less expensive because they allow for quicker recovery, so usually no overnight stay is required. And scheduling is a big advantage.

"Patients have a more efficient use of their time," said Dr. Fromm. It’s a one-stop service where a patient arrives in the morning to a pleasant atmosphere, gets their procedure done and goes home. There are no delays because of other patient emergencies. Since we aren't mixing inpatients and outpatients at the center, victims coming in from a car accident won't bump your outpatient procedure to a later time."

For hospital staff, the benefits are just as good. The new surgery center allows physicians and staff to focus and specialize just on out- patient cases rather than have them mixed in with lots of different cases. And that decreases the strain on the inpatient side as well, so everyone benefits with the new center.

"It's just a better utilization of resources," said Dr. Fromm.

A cooperative effort

Designing an advanced facility like Hamilton Ambulatory Surgery Center is no small feat. Recognizing that fact, Hamilton officials wanted to get physicians involved in the planning process from the start. And it's paid off.

"It's been an important cooperative development between our physicians and the hospital to ensure that this new center will offer the most advanced technology and services to meet the needs of the community," said Gary Howard. "It's been that close cooperation which has made this possible. We worked together, and it has strengthened the relationship between the hospital and the physicians."

"Both the physicians and the hospital agreed on the need for the facility," said Dr. Charles Herndon, an orthopedic surgeon who helped develop the center's program. "Each group put in the time and money to make it a reality. And most important, each group understood the other's viewpoint, which helped create a center that is focused on patient needs."

"We've worked together on this for more than a year," said Dr. Fromm. "Physicians understand the patient-doctor relationship, and we had some input on the design of the programs. The hospital had the expertise to carry those ideas out in building the center. It shows a willingness in both parties to help each other."

Hamilton Ambulatory Surgery Center is now open. For more information call 706.876.5000 or visit the Web site at www.hamiltonhealth.com.

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