Methodist Hospitals hosted a special reception and ribbon cutting at the brand new Orthopedic-Spine Center at the Southlake Campus in Merrillville on Thursday night. This facility, located on the third floor above the Imaging and Outpatient Services Centers, will serve as a “one-stop shop” for those in need of back, spine, as well as other services.
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Members of the community, Methodist Hospitals staff, business leaders, and others gathered to be part of the occasion. An impressive spread of appetizers and desserts was laid out for guests dining pursuits. Tours of the new facility were available and many curious attendees made it a point to peruse the new center.
Robert Johnson, a member of the Methodist Hospitals Board of Directors welcomed everyone to the program.
“Methodist Hospitals has made this commitment to providing the very best in programs and technology and facilities to the people of Northwest Indiana. The Board of Directors is proud that we have been able to make this investment,” Johnson said. “We are unanimous in our resolve and commitment to the vision of the Methodist Hospital Administration’s goal to be the premier specialty health care system in the region.”
Johnson went on to note the accomplishments that Methodist Hospitals has achieved over the years including expanded facilities, new technology, and the best equipment throughout all of the hospital locations. More specifically the achievements include the Northwest Indiana Center for Bariatric Surgery, Northwest Indiana Breast Care Center, Multi-Specialty Computer-Assisted Surgery Suite, and more.
This center is part of a $2.5 million project that includes an expansion of the spine and orthopedic center at the Gary Midlake Campus. Along with spine and orthopedic services, the center will have surgeons that offer services for foot and ankle issues, scoliosis and osteoporosis, as well as services involving the nervous system. Powers and Sons Construction is the construction company that is helping Methodist Hospitals see this project to completion.
“I am very proud and grateful to have been the construction provider of the vision that Methodist had for this facility,” Claude Powers, COO of Powers and Sons Construction said. “It’s a double win for me because I get to bring forth the vision of the architectural team. This has been a great team effort, working with the Methodist team was a great cooperative effort and what you see before you is a team effort.”
What makes this center even more special is the convenience that it will provide to patients as they can get access to multiple specialties in one building. Surgeons can work in tandem to make sure that their patients get the care they need quickly and efficiently. If a patient comes in for what they think is a problem with their back and they find out that the real issue is their hip, then the appropriate doctor is within walking distance. This can ultimately save someone’s life as time is often of the essence with different medical cases.
“A successful hospital must always be looking for ways to improve the services that it offers to its community,” Michael Davenport, M.D. President and Interim CEO of Methodist Hospitals said to the crowd. “We are always looking for ways to keep our patients safe, to continue to improve the quality of care that we deliver, and to offer ways to improve the patient experience that we deliver as well. One way to meet all three of these needs is to reimagine and restructure how we deliver our services. That is what this new Orthopedic and Spine Center is all about.”
Talks about the new Center began 13 years ago. It is now a reality and Elian Shepherd, M.D. thanked all involved from the bottom of his heart.
“We couldn’t have done it without you,” Dr. Shepherd said. “The leadership of our CEO Dr. Davenport, our nursing staff, secretaries, receptionists and the long hours of hard work put in by Kim Innes, Director of Orthopedic Services and Laurel Valentino, Director of Neuroscience. The project has truly been a labor of love.”
“We want to thank Dr. Davenport and his team for their continued support that they give the Chamber as a Legacy Partner. Your contributions make it easier for us to carry out our mission to the community,” Sue Reed, CEO of the Crossroads Chamber of Commerce said. “On behalf of the chamber I applaud you for your continuing drive to provide high quality technology and medical care in the Merrillville area. It is critical for us to not only sustain our cutting edge here in the region and to keep our businesses and community healthy, but also have Methodist as an economic driver in attracting new businesses and residents to the area. We all know that people look for certain things when they move into a new area: strong education, quality healthcare, and affordable housing.”
Reverend Dr. Neville, Jr of Methodist Hospitals Spiritual Care spoke a blessing for the new facility and all who will inhabit it, then followed the ceremonial ribbon cutting. Hearty applause filled the room as the long blue ribbon was snipped in two officially opening the new Center.
For more information on the Orthopedic Spine Center visit http://www.methodisthospitals.org/clinical_services/orthopedics-spine-care/