New center hopes to attract physicians as it expands services
The success of the new Regional One Health outpatient surgery center – and to an extent the newly renamed Regional One Health system – will hinge on whether it can attract business through area physicians and keep them happy.
If Dr. Michael Van Vliet’s, impressions are any indication, the surgery center is off to a solid start.
Van Vliet was one of the first surgeons to try the $9-million center, which opened in December and has three operating rooms available. A fourth is available to equip when demand grows. The center occupies roughly 18,000 square feet of previously undeveloped space attached to the Regional Medical Center in downtown Memphis, commonly known as The MED.
“Now that I’ve used this surgery center, I will not go to any other,” said Van Vliet, who is also director of critical care for Firefighters Regional Burn Center, which is also attached to The MED. “I would operate there every day if I could.”
The surgery center is a key component in a strategy to boost awareness of MED-affiliated services beyond acute care; branding research has shown that much of the community is unaware of outpatient and long-term care offerings. To emphasize the overall organization’s multi-faceted appeal, leaders last month announced a new name for the system: Regional One Health.
Outpatient surgery is not a new service for Regional One. In the past, physicians who partner with the system to staff its outpatient clinics have scheduled both inpatient and outpatient surgeries in a central surgical unit.
The new outpatient surgery center is taking over the outpatient operations and is technically a hospital outpatient department. That means the center can call upon MED-based specialists and resources whenever needed.
But the surgery runs on the model of a freestanding ambulatory surgery center. That means surgeons across the community who get credentials are able to use it as an extension of their practices – with the center’s anesthesiologist and staff of nurses, surgical technicians and business personnel to support them.
“Our folks get to know these surgeons and their preferences, and they’re just on it,” said surgery center administrator Jana Jones. “They’re able to schedule surgeries back-to-back with very little turnaround time, which doctors love because their time is so valuable.”
The surgery center can handle cosmetic and reconstructive, orthopedic, ENT, gynecologic, urologic and general surgeries. Leaders expect to add neurology and possibly oral surgery soon and have set a goal of 1,100 surgeries in the first year.
After 30 operations, Van Vliet, who specializes in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, said the center had exceeded his expectations.
“I think the number one thing is that the patients are treated exceptionally well, with great service and excellent outcomes,” he said. “It really has a Ritz-Carlton sort of approach. There’s top-of-the-line technology, and everything runs efficiently and on schedule -- like a well-orchestrated symphony, a well-oiled machine.”
Snazzy features include advanced Lumenis lasers, customizable operating rooms and a large-screen monitor in the waiting room on which patients’ loved ones can follow their progress. Amenities also include free parking, Wi-Fi and easy access to laboratory and pharmacy services, as well as access to a physicians’ lounge with a gym and conference room.
Flash back to a few years ago, and it’s hard to imagine a MED-affiliated facility being likened to a swanky hotel.
The expertise and care available through the system were widely regarded as top-notch, even unparalleled in the Mid-South, particularly in the areas of burn treatment, neonatal care and trauma care. But a large percentage of patients were insured through Medicaid or not at all.
That helped to foster a perception that outside of the MED’s famed centers of excellence, its services were only for people who couldn’t afford better.
“When I got here, the perception was if you have a bad accident, go to the MED, but as soon as you’re stable, get transferred to Methodist or Baptist,” said Reginald Coopwood, MD, who took over as system CEO four years ago. “That was kind of a community understanding.”
Coopwood sought to change perception and improve his organization’s financial outlook with “a serious focus on the patient experience” at every level.
Examples:
The hospital did not have private rooms. All rooms are now private, including those in the long-term rehab facility and long-term acute care facility.
Waiting areas weren’t comfortable for overnight stays. Now, updated features for patients’ loved ones include reclining chairs, shower areas and Wi-Fi Internet access.
Support staff didn’t always win praise as friendly or accommodating. Now, staff is trained on service-oriented expectations and held accountable if those expectations are not met.
Patient evaluations of service have improved drastically, Coopwood said. Also, he said, it has become rare for patients exiting critical care to transfer into competing facilities for long-term care.
That’s progress.
Building a clientele for the outpatient surgery center is part of the next phase. To broaden and diversify Regional One’s patient base, it's important for physicians and healthcare consumers who haven’t looked to Regional One in the past to give it a try.
“That is exactly where we are right now,” Jana Jones said. “We are trying to fill up this surgery center, and we would love to have interested doctors from outside The MED come and use the facility. It’s a beautiful facility.”
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