Evangelical Community Hospital Announces Center for Orthopaedics, First Facility of Its Kind in the Region

A graphic rendering of the new Center for Orthopaedics in Lewisburg.

LEWISBURG—Evangelical Community Hospital is excited to announce plans to open a new Center for Orthopaedics in September 2012. The Center will be the first facility of its kind in the region, and will be located on the Hospital’s second floor. Patients will be treated by a unified team of orthopaedic specialists using leading-edge technology and minimally invasive procedures in a Center that is dedicated solely to the care of orthopaedic patients.

The Center is necessary to meet the growing demand for specialized orthopaedic needs in the Susquehanna Valley. As Baby Boomers age and the need for orthopaedic procedures continue to increase, the caregivers at the Hospital’s Center for Orthopaedics will be ready to provide the compassionate and personalized care that patients have come to expect.

Building on the philosophy and success of Evangelical’s Joint Replacement Center and SUN Orthopaedic Group’s 34-year history as bone and joint specialists, the new Center will care for patients receiving and recovering from a wide-range of orthopaedic procedures, including spine surgery, fractures, and sports injuries, in addition to total joint replacements. The 25-bed unit will be located adjacent to the eight new surgical suites currently being built as part of the Surgical and Cardiovascular Expansion Project, offering convenient and centralized services for orthopaedic patients.

The current Joint Replacement Center will not be closing and its program will continue to serve patients from around the region and beyond. In fact, the program will be a big part of the new Center for Orthopaedics.

The Center will have a dedicated orthopaedic nursing staff, a specialized rehabilitation area and advanced infection control methods. Orthopaedic patients and their families will also be the first to experience new amenities offered by the Hospital like convenient parking and personalized registration and preadmission services, services the Hospital plans to roll out to other areas in the future.

“The demand for orthopaedic surgery continues to grow as people live longer and want to stay active and healthy,” Evangelical President and CEO Michael N. O’Keefe explained. “The new Center will provide a seamless continuum of care for all orthopaedic patients from pre-registration to discharge. It will provide dedicated space and personnel for orthopaedics without the cost of adding a separate facility. Special amenities for patients and families will be offered at the Center first, prior to implementation to all patients once the new patient bed tower is built,” O’Keefe added.  A new patient bed tower is a key component of the Hospital’s $90 million master facilities plan.

“We are excited by the Hospital’s plans for the Center for Orthopaedics,” Charles L. Cole Jr., MD, orthopaedic surgeon and President of SUN Orthopaedic Group, Inc. in Lewisburg. “Patients have been delighted with the comprehensive and personalized care at the Hospital’s Joint Replacement Center. The new Center for Orthopaedics will build on the success of the total joint program and expand it to meet the growing demand for these services. The new Center truly represents both the Hospital and SUN Ortho’s commitment to consistent quality care for all of our patients, but especially the aging population,” Dr. Cole noted.

The Center for Orthopaedics will be under construction soon and be fully operational by September 2012.