Mississippi Valley Surgery Center launches state-of-the-art modernization project and kicks off the next 20 years as the innovative leader in outpatient care.

Submitted by Mississippi Valley Surgery Center

The year was 1996, and something innovative was happening right here in the Quad Cities — Mississippi Valley Surgery Center was opening its doors.

The Surgery Center was the vision of a small group of physicians who believed that offering affordable, convenient surgery with individualized attention that didn’t require an extended hospital stay was the future of healthcare. A few of the procedures offered when the Center opened its doors included vasectomies, knee scopes, laparoscopic gall bladder removal, breast biopsies, cataract removal and tonsil/adenoid removal. Within a few years, the Surgery Center was so successful they needed to open an Endoscopy Center dedicated to colonoscopy, esophageal endoscopy and other gastrointestinal procedures. It was built on Utica Ridge Road in Davenport, conveniently located close to I-74 and other major roadways.

Fast-forward 21 years, and Mississippi Valley Surgery Center is once again on the forefront of innovative outpatient care. Michael J. Patterson, President and CEO, along with the physician-lead board of directors, Surgery Center team members, corporate partners and community supporters, recently broke ground on a state-of-the-art redesign project at its Dexter Court, Davenport, location that will modernize the facility and enable the team to serve even more patients.

“There is a growing national trend involving the shift of surgical cases from the traditional inpatient hospital setting to lower-cost outpatient settings just like Mississippi Valley Surgery Center,” said Patterson. “We’ve been a national leader in innovative surgical care, and we have become a destination site for patients, surgeons, and other ambulatory surgery center teams wanting to learn our processes. This modernization project will allow us to serve even more patients and serve our mission of excellence in care and service.”

State-of-the-art facility leads to better care
The $8 million modernization project, which is slated for completion in the fall of 2018, will increase the square footage of the facility and bump the number of beds from 24 to 39, of which 14 will be equipped for overnight stays. The Center’s overnight stays are typically comprised of orthopedics, spine, general surgery, plastics and ear, nose, and throat patients.

In addition, the modernization project will ensure patient comfort and privacy by allowing each patient their own private room designed specifically for those undergoing outpatient surgery.

Doctors, nurses and the Center’s support staff have been instrumental in working with Davenport-based general contractor Bush Construction and BLDD Architects in the design and development of the updated facility plan.

“The Surgery Center has really recognized that when doctors and nurses are integral to a medical facility’s design, the resulting space will better serve the patient,” said Dr. Tuvi Mendel, an orthopedic surgeon with Orthopaedic Specialists who is also the chairman of the board at the Surgery Center. “Patient-friendly facilities, care pathways, and expert clinicians are the hallmarks of great healthcare. The additional square footage combined with patient flow enhancements will help us, as physicians, ensure the Center will continue its role as the innovative leader in outpatient care.”

Some of the most innovative healthcare technology is available at Mississippi Valley Surgery Center. This includes minimally invasive total joint replacement and spine surgery, LenSx femtosecond laser for cataract surgery, cutting-edge stimulator technology for pain, Iridex laser for retinal surgery, balloon sinuplasty for ENT, laparoscopic general surgery, micro-invasive carpal tunnel releases and a host of other advanced surgical specialties.

This technology enables physicians to enhance the care for patients through better results and faster recovery. For example, in 2016 Dr. Mendel performed the first total ankle replacement at the Center. Patients who experience ankle pain and decreased function from arthritis are good candidates for the surgery, which replaces damaged bone and cartilage in the ankle joint with joint replacement parts.

When it comes to total joint replacements, Mississippi Valley Surgery Center is an established leader. The Center’s expert surgeons have performed more than 1,500 total joint replacements at Mississippi Valley Surgery Center — more than any other outpatient facility in Iowa. They are the only outpatient surgery center in Iowa that performs total joint replacements on all four major joints — shoulders, knees, hips and ankles.

“By using these innovative technologies in a space that is so focused on patient care, our patients experience better outcomes and faster recoveries,” said Dr. Mendel.

It’s about the people
While innovative technologies are an important component of outpatient care, it ultimately boils down to the caring experts who staff Mississippi Valley Surgery Center. They help create a warm and welcoming experience that puts patients and their loved ones at ease from admittance to discharge.

“The minute our patients enter the Surgery Center, they realize it’s very different than a hospital,” said Patterson. “It’s much more convenient and personal. From registration through discharge, our Center offers a relaxed environment with medical staff focused on offering individualized patient care.”

Recent customer satisfaction surveys demonstrate the pride the team takes in offering the best experience possible. More than 97 percent of patients surveyed would recommend Mississippi Valley Surgery Center to their friends and family. In addition, over 95 percent of patients gave them the highest possible patient satisfaction scores (9 or 10).

Physicians from a variety of practices choose to perform their outpatient procedures at the Surgery Center, and many of them have been with the facility since the start. This longevity is also reflected among other employees of the Surgery Center. Team members who have been with the Surgery Center for more than 20 years include four members of the leadership team, three nurses and one materials specialist.

National trend shows increase in outpatient surgery

Four decades ago, virtually all surgery was performed in hospitals. Patients had to wait weeks for an appointment and often had to spend several days in the hospital recovering. This was expensive and led to missed days at home and at work.

Over the past forty years, this model of care has been transformed. There is a growing national trend involving the shift of surgical cases from the traditional hospital setting into affordable ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) like Mississippi Valley Surgery Center (MVSC).
Physicians have been at the forefront of this shift. In the ASC setting, physicians are able to schedule procedures more conveniently, assemble teams of specially trained and highly skilled staff, ensure that the equipment used are best suited to their techniques and design facilities tailored to their specialties and to the specific needs of their patients.

The benefits to the patients have been just as substantial. Outpatient surgery is typically much less expensive than hospital care. Scheduling is also much easier and the overall experience is much more personalized and enjoyable.

As technologies continue to advance, the number of surgeries physicians will be able to perform in outpatient facilities will continue to grow. Continued growth of the Surgery Center will likely follow.

To learn more about Mississippi Valley Surgery Center, go to www.mvhealth.net, and visit Facebook at facebook.com/MississippiValleySurgeryCenter.