By Karen Hailson Bouvier | Photo Supplied
One project is complete, the other nearly so. Boosted by a $5.8 million grant from the New York State Department of Health/Dormitory of the State of New York Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program, and with the estimated renovation costs totaling $7.3 million, The University of Vermont Health Network Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) in Plattsburgh has created new spaces for its Orthopedic and Cardiology services.
“The driving forces behind these projects included convenience for those we serve, as well as a reimagined space to enhance collaboration and communication among our care teams to ultimately create a better patient experience all around,” said Thomas Saul, Regional Vice President of Practice Operations.
For many years, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine was located in a corner office of the 206 Cornelia Medical Office Building. The New York State grant offered the opportunity to relocate the service to a new, larger and more efficient space and renovate it to align it with other specialty services.
ORTHOPEDICS AND SPORTS MEDICINE “I’ve been here for more than 20 years,” said Dr. C. Philip Volk, orthopedic surgeon. “The old office was like a submarine. Not only was it outdated, it wasn’t accessible for patients with mobility issues. Since we were on the second floor, patients on crutches had to navigate a set of stairs, and then go down a long, narrow hallway. For patients in wheelchairs, the elevator was not easy to get to.”
Now that the renovation is nearly complete, the 14,000 square foot space is designed in a circular structure with an open concept. The huge exam rooms are set up as pods—a state-of-the-art design similar to that used by University of Vermont Medical Center. Each pod has three exam rooms, a physician, and his or her support staff. And since all medical records are digital, they can be shared among the medical professionals on a patient’s team by using the same electronic database. The center has its own stair- and curb-free entrance and a dedicated elevator to whisk patients to the second floor.
“We’re in the final phase,” said Matt Arless, Practice Manager. “A hand surgeon will be joining us shortly. This space, and our partnership with the Network, means we can pretty much handle anything in Orthopedics. I credit the vision of Dr. Volk and his colleague across the lake, Dr. Benoit, for their dedication over the past five to seven years that has brought this new space to life. Their commitment, along with the staff team’s effort were key to making it a reality.”
In addition to Dr. Volk, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine currently has seven physicians including five orthopedic surgeons and five advance practice providers. The newest members of the team, Dr. David Christensen, Dr. Stefan Turkula and Dr. Jesse Hahn, are bringing new expertise to the office, according to Arless.
Seeing approximately 100 patients a day, Orthopedics has enhanced its level of service especially in the X-ray department. Providers can now do a “long leg” X-ray (an image that goes from the pelvis down to the ankle) right in the office. In the past, these were done at a separate location and captured as three separate images. The film then had to be pieced together.
“It is very important for joint surgeons to be able see the total hip and alignment,” said Dr. Volk. “That means we are all operating from the same medical record.”
The great advantage in this type of consolidation is the increased ease of collaboration and that Arless said, helps improve patient care.
CVPH CARDIOLOGY Also funded by the NYS grant are renovations to an existing space in the Alice T. and William H. Miner Medical Arts Building to centralize cardiology services. Non-invasive cardiology, interventional cardiology services and electrophysiology are now all in one location. Located in a 9,600 square foot space, the Cardiology team is dedicated to excellence in the clinical treatment of heart disease, the leading health problem in the North Country.
“Many of our cardiology services had been located in a number of different places within the facility and some physicians had offices that were off-campus. That could be confusing for patients. This consolidation and renovation puts our providers and staff in one convenient location to better service our patients,” explained Saul.
Watch for more information about the redo of cardiology services in a future issue of Strictly Business.
Orthopedics and Sport Medicine 206 Cornelia St Plattsburgh, NY 12901 518-561-5516
CVPH Cardiology 214 Cornelia Street Plattsburgh, NY 12901 518-314-3420 www.cvph.org
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