Louisa’s primary care provider of surgery services is growing to better serve the community. The second phase of the surgery expansion project, currently underway and will include new central sterilization, patient waiting room, consultation room and employee staging area. Phase II is scheduled for completion this month and is the second phase of a three-part, $4.2 million improvement project that begun last spring.
The first phase of the expansion opened January15, 2010, with 3,500 additional square feet of surgery space with new amenities ranging from two new OR Suites, new recovery room with six beds and brand new anesthesia equipment. The third phase includes increased waiting room, family consultation room, staff changing area, break room and directors office, along with more storage. Stage three will complete the entire project and is anticipated to be complete late spring. A ribbon cutting ceremony and public tours will be held upon project completion.
As part of the surgery expansion project TRMC is excited to introduce narrow band imaging (NBI) as part of a new initiative to help physicians diagnose diseases in the upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract using a minimally invasive procedure called endoscopy.
During the procedure, NBI allows the physician to see the inner workings of the stomach and digestive system on a monitor. Compared to conventional systems, high-definition endoscopy, combined with the NBI provides physicians with sharper images and better contrast. This will give patients more accurate diagnoses and can shorten procedure time.
“The patients and surgeons at Three Rivers are privileged to have this advanced technology,” said Dr. Curt Edens, chief of medical staff at Three Rivers Medical Center. “This is just another example of the strong commitment the hospital administration has to the patients and the community.
TRMC serves approximately 4,000 patients per year in its surgery department. The expansion provides additional treatment space to accommodate more surgery suites which will allow us to perform more surgeries daily, thus decrease the amount of time a patient will wait.
“As the only provider of surgery services in the Louisa community, one of our top priorities is to provide ample space and amenities to provide our patients with the best surgery care possible,” says Greg Kiser, CEO. “A larger surgery department provides additional treatment space that will enhance patients’ comfort level and improve recovery time.”
Three Rivers Medical Center is a 90-bed, acute care facility. It is accredited by The Joint Commission. TRMC offers cardiology, general/bariatric surgery, orthopedics, urology, gynecology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, gastroenterology, podiatry, 24-hour emergency care, diagnostic radiology, rehabilitative services and mental health.