The St. Joe’sIHA Livonia Medical Center, which opened in May of this year on the campus of Schoolcraft College, was conceived, designed and constructed to deliver patient-centered care and convenience. The facility was built around the belief that the needs and expectations of the patient are paramount.
The 124,000-square-foot health-care facility brings together multi-disciplinary specialists to offer local residents the full continuum of care, including primary care; obstetrics and gynecology; women’s specialty imaging; pediatrics; physical therapy; urology and more. It also offers onsite lab services, diagnostic imaging, a retail pharmacy, and the Joe’s Java Coffee Shop. For members of the Schoolcraft community and local residents, the Livonia Medical Center also offers a convenient urgent care center.
This month Saint Joseph Mercy Health System and IHA announced the opening of their newest addition, an ambulatory (or outpatient) surgical center that promises to bring high-quality, coordinated surgical care to patients.
“The new surgical center is extremely convenient and improves the patient experience by providing pre and post-operative services all in one location,” says IHA Associate Division Head of Orthopedics Mark Pinto, MD, MBA. “From the initial primary care visit, to a specialist visit, to blood work and imaging, our patients have everything they need should they require surgery.”
The concept behind the new ambulatory surgical center is that the procedures offered do not require an overnight hospital stay. Procedures available include hip and knee replacement, ACL reconstruction and repair, rotator-cuff repairs, tonsillectomies, hernia repairs, gallbladder removals, and more.
“Healthcare in general is moving away from the in-patient setting and more towards out-patient care because of the convenience and benefits it offers patients,” Dr. Pinto says. “It’s the case with all surgeries that our patients will be observed following their procedure for a few hours before being safely discharged home. We find that patients are much more comfortable and recover much faster in their own homes, with the support of their own families, rather than trying to sleep and recover in a hospital bed.”
“Increasingly, we are doing more complex procedures on an outpatient basis, where our patients can safely return home in a shorter amount of time,” said Dave Spivey, president of St. Mary Mercy Livonia, a member hospital of Saint Joseph’s Health System.
The new ambulatory center includes four operating rooms with the potential to add a fifth if there is demand.
“There are times patients are told they need surgery and then have to wait months for an appointment, but that won’t be the case here,” says Dr. Pinto. “We have the facilities and resources where we can do quite a bit of volume.”
There are also 18 pre and post-operative bays. “This is a kind of dedicated home base for the patient,” Dr. Pinto says. “It’s where they will begin and end and it makes the whole experience much more relaxing and comfortable for everyone.”
Dr. Pinto says the ambulatory surgical center is part of the Livonia Medical Center’s overall goal to improve the patient experience.
“There was a lot of time and effort put into creating a convenient and comfortable patient experience,” he said. “We send the patient home only when we are satisfied that they are doing well. There is no loss in the quality of care. Home is where patients really want to be and where we want them to be.”
