The Future of Healthcare
Mississippi Valley Surgery Center Opens Doors to Better Outpatient Options
Safe. Affordable. Recover at home.
Money is tight and few can afford to get sick. The financial crisis is touching all aspects of our economy including household budgets here in the Quad Cities – and health care is no exception. Unexpected medical costs can put an enormous strain on families as costs and insurance deductibles and premiums increase.
“We built the Mississippi Valley Surgery Center to better serve patients who did not necessarily need the services and associated costs of hospitalization and where physicians had more control over how procedures are handled.”
We see Quad City families and patients with deductibles as high as $10,000. That means they are paying a substantial amount for their own treatment right out of their pocket,” says billing and insurance expert Alison Beardsley, Mississippi Valley Surgery Center, Davenport. “Combine higher insurance deductibles with increased food, fuel and housing prices, and no one can afford to just call the doctor for procedures or surgeries without asking tough questions about cost or exploring more affordable treatment options.” So, what’s a family to do? “What people may not know is that right here in the Quad Cities, there are ways to be treated that are actually more affordable, safe and put you on the road to recovery faster,” she explains.
Beardsley is referring to the continued growth of the Davenportbased Mississippi Valley Surgery Center (MVSC) and its network of physician specialists.
“The MVSC is home to ambulatory (outpatient) surgeries, where a patient who needs less than 24 hours for treatment can have their surgery performed,” explains John Dooley, M.D., founder of the Mississippi Valley Surgery Center and is its current administrator. “We built the MVSC to better serve patients who did not necessarily need the services and associated costs of hospitalization and where physicians had more control over how procedures are handled.”
Since its beginning in 1996, the Mississippi Valley Surgery Center has served more than 90,000 patients; and the ambulatory surgery center has grown, supported by the Mississippi Valley Health Network of specialists, to perform over 10,000 procedures a year.
“The MVSC and Mississippi Valley Health Network of practices keeps health care costs down because our training emphasizes minimally invasive procedures that promote faster healing; and the surgery center’s outpatient services ensure you recover at home and avoid expensive hospital stays,” adds Dr. Dooley.
Home the Same Day: Back to Life the Next
Cost effective? Convenient? Faster Recovery? Just ask Davenport carpenter and avid motorcyclist Eric Swanson, who couldn’t ride or hold a hammer because of carpal and cubital tunnel syndrome in both hands and elbows. “I starting having numbness in my hands, but kept ignoring the symptoms because I couldn’t afford any downtime for surgery,” Eric explains. However the symptoms got so bad, he couldn’t hold a hammer or type on his computer.
Eric sought treatment at the Mississippi Valley Surgery Center from fellowship-trained hand surgeon Tyson Cobb, M.D., Orthopaedic Specialists, Davenport. Dr. Cobb has pioneered new surgical techniques that can successfully treat carpal (hand) and cubital (elbow) syndromes with a tiny incision. “Dr. Cobb was amazing, and the surgery was no problem,” recalls Eric.
“I was home the same afternoon. My numbness was gone and I lost no time from work. I don’t know why I put off surgery so long!”
“We are the Future of Healthcare”
Eric’s experience is common at the MVSC. In recent years as surgical techniques have improved, more procedures are being performed nationwide in Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ACS) like the surgery center in Davenport. “We like to say our surgery center and physician partners represent the future of healthcare,” explains Dr. Dooley “Thirty years ago, virtually all surgery was performed in hospitals. Patients waited weeks or months for an appointment, and they typically spent several days in the hospital and several weeks out of work in recovery. But better surgical techniques, more efficient operations and treatments allow patients to recover better and faster at home.
“At a time when our health care delivery system is roundly criticized for waste, excessive costs, medical errors and a general lack of responsiveness, we promote real solutions to each of these problems,” Dr. Dooley continues. “We are efficient in our use of financial and human capital. We have increased productivity. We are more accessible to patients and present less risk of medical errors and cross infection. And yes, we do all of this while reducing costs to patients, employers, insurers and government programs.”
Statistics are bearing this out. “For example,” explains Ms. Beardsley, “Quad City patients are paying significantly less for total joint replacements at the MVSC than area hospitals. Based on Iowa Hospital Association data, charges at local Quad City hospitals for knee replacement surgeries range from $26,000 to $38,000. The average charge for knee replacement surgery at Mississippi Valley Surgery Center is $19,000.”
Safe and Swift Recoveries
While cost weights heavily on pocketbooks, there is also the worry about being treated outside a hospital setting. Although many believe that extended observation and a hospital stay ensures there are no complications, research is bearing out that the best place for recovery can be at home, away from unnecessary exposure to infections.
A recent national study included examination of rates of inpatient hospital admission and death in elderly patients following common outpatient surgical procedures in hospitals’ outpatient facilities and procedures in ASCs. Rates of inpatient hospital admission and death were lower in freestanding ASCs according to the Archives of Surgery, a monthly professional medical journal published by the American Medical Association.
The MVSC also voluntarily holds itself to the gold standard of care and is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAHC). Also because it serves Medicare beneficiaries, the Medicare program certifies the MVSC. The MVSC complies with standards developed by the federal government to ensure the safety of the patient and the quality of the facility, physicians, staff, and services. Finally, when considering healthcare options, one of the most important factors should be length of stay and the recovery process. Better surgical techniques are requiring very small incisions, with patients back to life quicker than before. Longer hospital stays aren’t necessarily better. Forty-six year old Moline resident Beth Saranglao is a walking example of the benefits of getting back on her feet and home right after surgery. The avid runner underwent a total hip replacement by fellowship trained Orthopaedist John Hoffman, M.D., Orthopaedic Specialists. Saranglao’s surgery was at 4:00 p.m., and she was home 17 hours later, at 9:00 a.m. the following morning. “I loved it,” Saranglao says of the treatment at the Mississippi Valley Surgery Center. “I didn’t have to check in. I was up and walking right after surgery and was glad to be home.”
Saranglao has returned to a life every bit as active as the one before surgery. “I shouldn’t have waited so long,” she admits. She bicycles every morning (during bad weather it’s indoors, on a trainer), and she’s back to running most days on the treadmill. “I’d do it again. I’m still flexible – I can do cheerleader splits!”
