Surgery Center sees success

NORWALK — A new surgical center in the city has seen 50 patients since opening in January. The Surgery Center of North Central Ohio on Emerald Parkway is a collaboration between Fisher-Titus, NOMS and Health Care Facilities Partners. The $5.8 million center is licensed by the Ohio Department of Health as an ambulatory surgical facility and is certified by Medicare and accredited by The Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program. It specializes in outpatient procedures that are scheduled by a physician. But patients can also request to have their procedures there. The facility is over 12,000 square feet and features three operating rooms, one procedure room and a laser room. There are 10 patient bays for preoperative and postoperative care. Bill Gavigan, president of outpatient services Health Care Facilities Partners, said the center is focused on ensuring patients have the best surgical experience possible and provide cost-effective care. "Patients will typically pay less coinsurance for procedures performed at (the center) than for the same procedures in the hospital setting," Gavigan said. "Because (The Surgery Center of North Central Ohio) is highly specialized and functions on a much smaller scale, it can provide services at a lower price than a full-service hospital." The center specializes in procedures that do not require an overnight stay. Some of the most common procedures are eye, ear, nose and throat procedures, orthopedics, gastroenterology treatments and foot and ankle procedures. Other surgeries include removal of cataracts and tonsils, knee and shoulder scopes, minor fracture repairs, colonoscopies and bunion repair. The Surgery Center of North Central Ohio handles both elective and essential procedures but does not accept walk-in, urgent care or emergency room patients. But the center provides same-day surgery options for many common procedures, offering lower healthcare prices because advancing surgical care options are typically reimbursed far less than hospital outpatient departments. "By providing affordable, patient-centered care, physicians and nurses can focus more on the needs and comfort of individual patients. Studies have shown that patients cared for in an outpatient surgery center have very high, up to 98%, patient satisfaction," Gavigan said. "In addition, the care is generally more cost-effective and according to one study, 47% less expensive than comparable care in a hospital." Caring for the community is at the forefront of their work, he said. "To provide high-quality, convenient, outpatient surgical and healthcare services in the most appropriate and efficient setting to meet the needs of Norwalk and the surrounding communities," Gavigan said.