Do You Need Surgery?

From the Spring 2011 StayHealthy Publication

Choose wisely...all facilities are not the same

When you need outpatient surgery, you don’t have to go far to find a top-quality surgical facility. There are two right here in Porter County. Porter’s Great Lakes Surgery Center in Portage and Porter’s Chandana Surgery Center in Valparaiso consistently receive high patient satisfaction scores and are completely patient focused.

Times have changed in surgery. It used to be that just about all surgery – no matter how routine the procedure – was done in the hospital. But today, with advances in technology and surgical techniques, a growing number of procedures are performed in outpatient surgery centers. This shift means patients now have a choice of where to have their surgery, and it also means they must choose wisely.

Ask About Satisfaction

“I encourage anyone who is going to have surgery at a surgery center to ask what the center’s recent patient satisfaction scores are,” said Maureen Beekman, director of Chandana Surgery Center at Porter.

“Our scores are between 96 and 97 percent overall.” These excellent scores resulted in the Center receiving the 2009/2010 Apex Quality Award for patient satisfaction and overall quality of care.

Ask About Safety

Denise Wible, director of Great Lakes Surgery Center at Porter says safety is another issue that should concern patients. “Because Great Lakes and Chandana are owned by Porter, we must adhere by the guidelines of The Joint Commission to receive accreditation.” Accreditation by The Joint Commission means Porter’s facilities have been thoroughly inspected for their physical layout, staff training, safety equipment and emergency protocols to ensure the highest level of professionalism and safety.

Ask About Staffing

An experienced staff of nurses and other caregivers is crucial to receiving excellent patient care and promoting good surgical outcomes. Beekman reports that all of the registered nurses at Chandana Surgery Center have at least 16 years of nursing experience and a long history with the Center. At Great Lakes Surgery Center, there has been very little nursing staff turnover in the last 20 years, which means the nurses and physicians are well acquainted and work as a well-trained team.

Ask About Efficiency

“Just by its nature, a surgery center tends to run more efficiently than a hospital,” explained Wible. “At Great Lakes, we pride ourselves on staying on schedule and working in a manner that reduces interruptions in our patients’ care.” Beekman echoed this sentiment saying, “From scheduling to preparing the ORs, everything is done to see that the patients get in, get treated, and go home as efficiently as possible.”

Just Ask

While you may consider it just “outpatient surgery,” it is still surgery and a serious undertaking. This makes the facility you choose of utmost importance. So, do your due diligence and ask the right questions. You have a choice, and Porter has two great surgery center options.

Great Lakes Surgery Center at Porter

Patients constantly praise Great Lakes Surgery Center. Not only is the center conveniently located on the Portage Hospital Campus, the facility is being updated to make it even more attractive and better equipped to

• Location
  
  • 3630 Willowcreek Road Portage
    
  • 364.3000
    
• When Opened
  
  • 1990
    
• Patient Satisfaction Score
  
  • 92% - 93%
    
• Pre/Post-Op Rooms
  
  • 15
    
• Average Years of Service for RNs
  
  • 17
    
• Accreditation
  
  • Joint Commission
    
• Latest Update
  
  • 2 new, fully equipped OR suites for orthopedic procedures
    
• Procedures Performed
  
  • Gynecology
    
  • Ophthalmology
    
  • Orthopedics
    
  • Pain Relief procedures
    
  • Podiatry
    
  • Urology

Chandana Surgery Center at Porter

A recipient of the Apex Quality Award for patient satisfaction and overall quality of care, Chandana Surgery Center at Porter has established standards of care for all healthcare workers and administrative staff that promote the best possible surgical outcomes.

• Location
  
  • 1900 Roosevelt Road Valparaiso
  • 263.5721
    
• When Opened
  
  • 2008
    
• Patient Satisfaction Score
  
  • 96% - 97%
    
• Pre/Post-Op Rooms
  
  • 13
    
• Average Years of Service for RNs
  
  • 23
    
• Accreditation
  
  • Joint Commission
    
• New Equipment
  
  • OPMI Lumera Microscope for Cataract Surgery
    
• Procedures Performed
  
  • General
    
  • Ear, Nose & Throat
    
  • Gynecology
    
  • Ophthalmology
    
  • Plastic & Reconstructive
    
  • Podiatry
    
  • Urology
    
  • Vascular