Submitted by PeaceHealth
A new, 1,067-square-foot hybrid surgery suite will open its doors to patients in February at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, the only one of its kind north of Everett. The hybrid OR, along with another new (non-hybrid) operating room, will expand surgery capacity from 680 patients to about 740 per month.
“The state-of-the-art hybrid operating room integrates advanced imaging technology, allowing surgeons to perform highly complex cases that would otherwise go elsewhere,” said Karla Ramusack, director of nursing for surgery administration. The access to imaging during surgery improves efficiency of surgical processes and increases surgeons’ abilities to adapt treatment, if needed, in real-time.
Offering a hybrid surgery suite helps patients stay close to home, receive care timely and allows surgeons to plan patient surgical treatments in a combined surgery instead of through multiple procedures. Initially, the hybrid OR will host vascular, cardiovascular and electrophysiology procedures, but due to the integrated imaging features, it will accommodate other specialty services like neurosurgery, orthopedics and urology. The hybrid OR uses thePhilips Azurion image-guided therapy platform. The platform includes a C-shaped flexible arm with 270-degree range of movement on eight axes to give multiple views in 2D and 3D images.
Helping patients receive a variety of procedures and care locally, along with serving a growing community, were key reasons for the expansion from eight rooms to 10—the hybrid suite and a 951 square foot general operating suite. The concept for these two new rooms began back in 2006, and with a couple of architectural revisions since 2017, the project was constructed over the last two years. The last operating rooms came online in 2003.
“This has been a huge collaboration with a multitude of departments and individuals,” said Ramusack. “Our project manager and the construction crews have been incredible to work with, ensuring every detail of the space meets our needs and optimizes the patient, provider and caregiver experiences in the rooms,” she said. Abbott Construction of Bellingham was the lead contractor.
