Outpatient Surgery Comes to Castle
by Paul F. Witt, M.D.
When Castle Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, S.C., expanded and moved to its new facility in 2002, a couple of new services were also provided. In addition to new office facilities, diagnostic radiology (X-Ray) and physical therapy, an open MRI suite was also added. But the most dramatic addition was the orthopaedic outpatient surgery center, Castle Surgicenter, L.L.C.
While anyone is allowed to build a new office, extensive regulations imposed by the State of Illinois must be satisfied in order for anyone to build or add operating rooms to any existing or new facility. Navigating through the regulatory maze overseen by the Illinois Health Facility Planning Board was indeed an adventure. Simply to be granted approval to build the new operating suite took almost two years of work on the part of Castle administration and staff, our architects at Marshall Erdman Associates and our lawyers and lobbyists. (It’s hard to get anything approved by the government without lobbyists!) After a public hearing in Aurora and three hearings before the Planning Board, the State finally issued a permit to proceed with construction (otherwise known as a Certificate of Need) on August 30, 2001. Operating suites, whether in a hospital or an outpatient center are equally held to rigorous standards for both construction and life safety issues. Throughout construction at various stages local and state inspectors repeatedly inspected the facility to ensure compliance with those standards. The Surgicenter passed the State of Illinois Department of Public Health initial physical plant inspection on October 22, 2002, and was granted temporary occupancy. After a further inspection by the City of Aurora, a Certificate of Occupancy was issued. The final inspection by the Department of Public Health was performed on December 10, 2002, and the facility was finally licensed to operate as an Ambulatory Surgery Center. The First surgical case was done on December 18, 2002. A further early operational inspection and Medicare survey were done by the Department of Public Health on January 9, 2003. The Surgicenter passed its final unannounced Medicare Certification Inspection on February 5, 2003.
From the outset the facility was designed by the physicians and staff at Castle Orthopaedics to be efficient, user-friendly (for both patients and staff) and of the highest quality. The centerpiece of the facility is its two state-of-the-art outpatient operating rooms which rival the level of sophistication available at any hospital. From the surgical lights on the ceiling to the surgical tables, from the anesthesia machines to the patient monitoring systems, form simple scissors and clamps and sutures to the latest technology in arthroscopic surgery, everything was carefully selected to provide the finest facility available. The newest and most powerful portable X-Ray machine available was also purchased to allow live X-Ray pictures and moves to be taken in the operating rooms to provide guidance in the placement of pins, screws and other devices accurately.
In addition to the operating rooms themselves, the Surgicenter also contains a recovery room that can accommodate three patients simultaneously and it, too, contains the latest patient monitoring equipment. There are additionally seven patient rooms in which patients can be prepared for surgery (starting IVs, etc.) or complete the final stages of recovery prior to discharge home. The waiting room for the Surgicenter is isolated from the main waiting room and it contains a TV as well as coffee and snacks—all designed to provide a quiet, clam and comfortable atmosphere for waiting family members.
But perhaps more important than providing the latest in design and technology was selecting the individuals who would be taking care of you, our valued patients. We selected a clinical director who had extensive experience in an outpatient surgery center and who loved orthopaedics. She knew not only what needed to be done administratively but she also knew what kind of people would be needed to staff the facility. From a long list of applicants she selected a group of individuals who are very talented and highly experienced. From nurses in pre-op and post-op to the operating room nurses and technicians the staff of the Surgicenter has an average of over twenty-two years of nursing, outpatient and operating room experience! Aside from their training and experience, they are most importantly dedicated to taking care of patients as individuals, one at a time, combining their expertise with a welcome dose of compassion. Our staff of anesthesiologists (MDs) and nurse anesthetists was also selected not only for their professional expertise but also for their ability to ease the anxieties associated with surgery.
Collectively the staff of the Surgicenter is dedicated to providing you with the highest quality care while respecting your individual needs in an effort to make your outpatient surgical experience as pleasant and successful as humanly possible. In an effort to demonstrate that commitment, the Surgicenter voluntarily requested an inspection by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). While the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) is responsible for ensuring the quality of care delivered in hospitals, AAAHC certifies the quality of care delivered in outpatient surgical centers. Not all outpatient surgical facilities voluntarily seek accreditation by AAAHC, and, of those that do apply, not all are granted accreditation. AAAHC inspected Castle Surgicenter on April 30, 2003 and granted a one-year accreditation, which is the longest certification that can be granted a new facility.
Castle Surgicenter, L.L.C. brings to completion our efforts to provide you with the fullest array of orthopedic services that can be provided on an outpatient basis—all located conveniently under one roof. We are committed to providing you with access to the latest technology delivered by a caring staff of people touching other people. We hope to meet or exceed your expectations at every encounter.
Our goal is to prove, again and again, that “Our Standards Are Simply Higher.”
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