Healthcare institutions seek to broaden the scope of Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) for enhanced patient care and cost efficiency.
Expanded Surgery Centers Offer Advanced Care and Enhanced Patient Experience
In a shift towards more affordable, convenient, and personalized healthcare, health systems are investing in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). One such example is Eisenhower Health, which expanded its surgery center, the Eisenhower Desert Orthopedic Center, in 2021.
The expanded center now spans 110,000 square feet, more than doubling its original size. This expansion has quadrupled the number of operating rooms from two to eight, allowing 80 percent of the organization's orthopedic surgeries to be performed at the surgery center.
About 170 clinical and administrative staff work onsite, including two full-time IT staffers. The IT department has equipped the center with standardized technology, ensuring smooth operations and improved care.
Technology is critical to the success of surgery centers. At the Eisenhower Desert Orthopedic Center, surgeons use Apple iPad devices to send personalized videos to patients, showing the surgery's steps in real-time. During arthroscopic surgery, new surgical instruments with cameras provide clear, magnified views on large 4K monitors.
Wi-Fi is essential at the center because clinicians and administrative staff are mobile, and it enables instant communication through features like Epic's private medical chat. The IT infrastructure also includes Dell and HP desktop and notebook computers, HP printers, Cisco switches and Wi-Fi equipment, and Epic electronic medical record software.
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the healthcare industry's move to outpatient care, including home healthcare. ASCs offer a more intimate setting that provides patients more personalized care, making them a more convenient alternative to hospitals.
Similarly, Saltzer Health, a provider owned by Intermountain, recently opened the Saltzer Surgery Center, a 22,500-square-foot, multispecialty facility with five ORs and one procedure room. The technology at the Saltzer Surgery Center enables the center to operate efficiently and improve patient outcomes, making for better patient care, less expensive care, and improved patient satisfaction.
Surgeons at the Saltzer Surgery Center use video-assisted surgical instruments, and monitors for blood pressure and other vital signs are connected to the wired Cisco network and automatically uploaded to the EMR. The center has also standardized on an ASC-specific, cloud-based software suite, enabling staff to do everything they need, including an EMR, charting system, and practice management system.
The expanded Eisenhower Desert Orthopedic Center has 23-hour recovery rooms for patients and 22 patient exam rooms equipped with a computer and IP phone. This setup ensures that patients receive the best care during their recovery period.
The expansion frees up operating rooms for other surgical needs at the nearby Eisenhower Medical Center. Dr. John Doe, who announced the technical equipment of the outpatient surgery center at Eisenhower Desert Orthopedic Center, emphasized the use of technology for patient-friendly and safe surgeries, enhancing the patient experience during diagnosis and postoperative care, and using 4K monitors and Apple iPads to transmit surgery videos to patients.
Health systems are recognizing the benefits of ASCs, with Intermountain Healthcare, a health system with 24 hospitals and 225 clinics, making ASCs a bigger part of its strategy. Intermountain owns four ASCs and is developing several more. This strategic shift towards ASCs is set to revolutionize the healthcare industry, offering more affordable, convenient, and personalized care to patients.
%20for%20enhanced%20patient%20care%20and%20cost%20efficiency.){kind=link}