Administrator to Know: Carolyn Hollowood of City Place Surgery Center

Carolyn R. Hollowood, RN, BSN, CNOR, RNFA, CASC (City Place Surgery Center, Creve Coeur, Mo.). Ms. Hollowood is the administrator of City Place Surgery Center in Creve Coeur, Mo., which is located in West County of St. Louis. The center is housed in a medical office building and has four operating rooms. The physician-owned, multi-specialty facility focuses on orthopedics and pain management.

City Place opened in Dec. 2000 and moved to its current location in April 2006. Ms. Hollowood has been a part of the center for 10 years, since it was at its original location. Prior to coming to City Place, she was a RN first assistant at an acute care center. She has 20 years of nursing experience.

Ms. Hollowood's colleagues say that one reason she is a terrific administrators is because she keeps costs in line and isn't afraid to make the hard decisions. "She has great communication skills, not only with doctors but knows how to encourage and motivate staff," one colleague says. "She helps out in all perioperative areas when needed. She has a great sense of humor and can help others see the bigger picture when needed. She has been in the position for 10 years has helped design the new center and has taken the center to new heights — it is now very profitable for the physician owners."

Designing and building the new center has been one of the highlights of Ms. Hollowood's career. "I oversaw construction for half a day, everyday, wearing a hard hat, safety glasses and a vest," she says. She is also proud of the fact that she oversaw a smooth transition to the new center.  When orchestrating the move, she proudly says that the ASC only lost one half day in cases.

Ms. Hollowood's accomplishments also include standardizing the equipment that the surgeons use at the center as part of a cost control measure. "We also do a lot of quality assessment at the center," she says. "The whole staff is involved."

Ms. Hollowood says that what she enjoys most about City Place is working with a great clinical and business office staff and committed physician owners. "They give highly skilled quality care," she says. "It is much more individualized and patient-centered care than you would receive in an acute care hospital setting."

Ms. Hollowood says another element of her job that she loves is the opportunity to introduce new procedures and concepts into the daily operations at her center. "The autonomy you have as an administrator is a great thing, especially when you see that you can implement something that will make a positive difference in the care of the patient," she says. "It's very rewarding to see the results."

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