It’s said that 40 is the new 50, and 50 is the new 60. At a rapid rate, more and more Americans are eager to stay active and mobile – and do so without chronic pain. Orthopedic providers must continue to evolve, expand, and innovate in order to keep up with the growing demand across the nation and right here in Connecticut.
At Saint Francis Hospital, a member of Trinity Health Of New England, providing a comprehensive approach complete with hyper-focused specialty institutes is a top priority. The hospital’s orthopedic services expand across a multitude of specialty areas, from prevention to diagnosis, from surgical care to rehabilitation, to long-term recovery and beyond. Saint Francis remains a leader in the field of orthopedics and continues to be the top choice of patients regionally.
Year after year, Saint Francis has been recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the 100 Hospitals with Great Orthopedic Programs in the United States. The hospital attributes much of its success to its understanding that patients are individuals each with unique needs who’s care plans should be just as individualized.
“Longer than any other institution, we’ve worked to ensure that we are not just a general orthopedic program,” said Stephanie Kelly, director of orthopedic services, Saint Francis Hospital. “In most cases, the needs of a joint replacement patient are vastly different than the needs of a spine patient. Our individualized approach to patient care drives down costs for the patient and ultimately adds value.”
Comprised of the first-of-its-kind Connecticut Joint Replacement Institute (CJRI), the Spine Institute of Connecticut, the Connecticut Sports Medicine Institute, the Connecticut Musculoskeletal Cancer Alliance, and the Connecticut Orthopedic Trauma and Fracture Institute, Saint Francis provides a comprehensive array of world-class services including joint replacement, spine care, sports medicine, hand surgery, foot and ankle surgery, and specialized cancer and trauma care. Saint Francis is home to state-of-the-art technology, dedicated orthopedic surgical units and post-operative patient care units, and remains the largest provider of orthopedic inpatient procedures in the region.
Leading the Way:
The Connecticut Joint Replacement Institute (CJRI) at Saint Francis Hospital was the first hospital in the state to launch an outpatient total joint replacement program in a hospital setting for select total hip and knee replacement patients. “An essential element of this program was identifying a personal ‘coach’ for these patients before surgery – either a family member or significant other who will be with the patient from pre-surgical counseling to their home after discharge,” said Dr. Steven Schutzer, physician director, CJRI, and physician executive, Orthopedic Service Line, Trinity Health Of New England. “With these resources in place, select patients are able to take advantage of returning home on the day of surgery to rehabilitate comfortably in a closely supervised environment.”
Advancements in pre-operative patient preparation and selection, less invasive leading-edge surgical procedures, modern anesthesia techniques with better pain management, more rapid post-operative physical therapy and rehabilitation, and new medications to minimize surgical bleeding were all key factors in CJRI’s ability to lead the way in outpatient joint replacement surgery.
“Since our inception 12 years ago, CJRI has performed over 38,000 joint replacements,” said Kelly. “No matter the volume of patients we serve, we pride ourselves on making sure each patient feels special. We are with our patients long before a surgery, providing them, and their loved ones, with education and pre-operative preparation tools, as well as long after, ensuring a full recovery is achieved.”
Collaboration and Convenience:
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons estimate that the volume of total knee replacements will increase 189% to 1.3M per year by 2030. It’s anticipated this annual growth rate will continue to rise by 3.8% until 2060.
Along with the growing demand for orthopedic services, there is an attraction for patients and surgeons to utilize outpatient surgical facilities.
“Outpatient orthopedic surgery allows patients to have a quicker recovery, but also comes with a significant cost savings to patients,” said Dr. Michael Joyce, president and CEO, Lighthouse Surgery Center. “With advancements in surgical techniques, technology, and anesthesia, there is a rise in outpatient surgical opportunities.”
Saint Francis and a team of physicians, led by Dr. Joyce, saw the potential years ago, and are now on the cusp of opening the doors to their new, state-of-the-art Lighthouse Surgery Center. The center is a physician-led, hospital-supported joint venture—a freestanding, 35,000 square foot outpatient surgery facility, located at 129 Woodland Street in Hartford, directly across the street from Saint Francis.
“Outpatient orthopedic surgery allows patients to have a quicker recovery, but also comes with a significant cost savings to patients.” – Dr. Michael Joyce, president and CEO, Lighthouse Surgery Center.
“The Lighthouse Surgery Center marks a significant step in the evolution of outpatient orthopedic surgery and allows us to further meet the needs of this growing population of patients,” said John Rodis, M.D., president, Saint Francis Hospital. “The center will serve orthopedic surgical patients in need of sports-related injury repairs, spine surgical patients, and provide unique services in pain management, all under one roof, in a same-day care setting.”
Set to open in early 2020, the Lighthouse Surgery Center will meet the surgical needs of ACL repairs and other knee ligament reconstructions, upper and lower extremity fracture repairs, reconstructive and restorative arthroscopic shoulder procedures, arthroscopic hip procedures and will have the capability to support full joint replacement surgeries and provide our spine patients with optimal outpatient surgical services. Additionally, the center will be home to our world-class team of anesthesiologists, who lead the industry in pain management services and procedures.
“It’s taken 4 years form the concept to the opening,” said Dr. Joyce, standing in the nearly completed lobby of the center. He compared the journey to that of having a child, “The same way you prepare and build up to the birth of your child, then the work really begins when they are born and you just never stop worrying or thinking about them. It’s the same with this building and this process. We, the roughly 20 surgeons who are co-owners, are so deeply involved, and we are very excited to bring this cutting edge facility to the community. They won’t be disappointed!”
From the front door to its reception area, to the patient intake area, to the operating suites, recovery area, and beyond, the Lighthouse Surgery Center boasts tranquility and streamlined flow. Artwork, specially created for the facility, ties together the touches of aquamarine and teal blues, making patients feel they’ve stepped into a modern day seaside boutique and reinforce the highly New England-based name, “Lighthouse.” For patients, thoughtful, detailed touches are tangible in every aspect of the facility with ease of patient parking, pre-and post-surgical physical therapy services located onsite, and a specified exit for post-operative patients, located directly off the physical therapy wing, to allow for a smooth transition out to the car. For the medical providers, features include six operating suites fully equip to meet the demand of complex, highly specialized spine, full joint replacement, or other orthopedic-related procedures, as well as a centralized sterilization areas, very different from traditional outpatient surgery centers.
“The Lighthouse Surgery Center has an equipment management and sterilization process that has the same robust features as a large hospital, which allows us to have the optimal level of safety that is on par with Saint Francis,” said Dr. Joyce. “Safety was also at the forefront of the conversation when it came to location. We wanted this location, next to Saint Francis, in order to be fully prepared for the unexpected. If there ever becomes a need to transfer a patient to an acute, inpatient facility, one of the best in the state is a located just a step away.”
Innovating into the Future of Care:
To innovate is to move the dial forward and create the highest quality outcome for patients. That remains the objective of the Spine Institute of Connecticut at Saint Francis as they match the latest in surgical technology with their forward-thinking programs. The institute specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of congenital, acute, and chronic spinal disorders and provides innovative care for patients who suffer from spinal pain.
The recent installation of their new, state-of-the-art BrainLab technology, which includes navigation, intraoperative CT scan, and a 3-D C-arm, allows for the most precision and accuracy in the placement of instrumentation during spine procedures. Ultimately, the upgraded technology keeps the institute at the forefront of offering the safest options for patients.
In addition to the latest technology, the Spine Institute of Connecticut has launched a new Comprehensive Spine Program, aimed at providing a multidisciplinary approach to spine care.
“While we offer the best in spine surgical options for patients, the goal is always to avoid surgery when possible,” said Maureen Geary program manager, orthopedic service line at Saint Francis. “When we have patients with more complex cases, in which the traditional modalities aren’t proving effective, our new Comprehensive Spine Program allows all the key players— surgeons, physical therapist, physiatrists, social workers, nurses— to come together under one umbrella for a comprehensive approach to that patient’s care.”
The key stakeholders convene on a weekly basis to collaboratively discuss the patient’s care plan, one at a time, allowing the group to focus on the big picture and streamline and individualize the patient’s treatment.
“This is a unique approach, one in which we feel we are leaders both regionally and nationally,” Geary added. “These patients often receive excessive or unnecessary diagnostic testing during frequent emergency room visits, but this program will keep them under the care of our team, who will cross-strategize on testing, diagnostics, and treatment plans, ultimately reducing costs.”
The program begins with expedited care, in which patients are initially connected to a navigator, who remains with them for the entirety of their experience. The goals are to improve access, reduce wait times for appointments, coordinate care, and improve the quality of life for these patients through non-surgical management of their pain and spinal dysfunction. ●
