Olympia Orthopaedic Associates opened its surgery center, West Olympia (Wash.) Surgery Center in 2012, paving the way to launch its outpatient total joint replacement last year.
Here are five key points on the program.
1. Since Oly Ortho launched the program in March 2015, surgeons at the center have performed 100 successful outpatient total joint replacements.
2. Stephen Snow, MD, serves as the medical director of West Olympia, and works with Sylvia Johns, the ASC's director, and Becki Taylor, nurse navigator, to successfully run the program.
3. Oly Ortho has set criteria to determine if someone is a prime candidate. If a patient does not meet the criteria, Oly Ortho works with its hospital partners at Capital Medical Center and Providence St. Peter Hospital, both in Olympia, on an in-patient surgical plan.
4. Prior to surgery, patients and their caregivers attend an outpatient joint replacement class to learn about pre-op and post-op protocols. The center also requires patients to attend a pre-operative physical therapy session.
5. Patients have direct access to Ms. Taylor by email or phone. As nurse navigator, she follows up with patients the day after surgery and the following week.
"We are really here to serve our community – that's what we're all about," said Dr. Snow. "With all the options we have locally, you really don't need to leave Olympia for a joint replacement surgery."
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