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Release Date: 8/21/2009
New Ortho-Spine Center Opens
Physical therapist Kathleen Stebe assists patient Karen Schrader, 57, of Waterloo, Ill., in mat exercises,
St. Anthony’s Medical Center, the leading hospital in the St. Louis area for hip and knee replacements, announces the opening of its new Ortho-Spine Center.
“St. Anthony’s has one of the largest orthopedic programs in the region,” said Lawrence Kriegshauser, MD., chairman of St. Anthony’s Orthopedic Department. “The new Ortho-Spine Center provides comprehensive services for patients with orthopedic and spinal needs.”
The new Ortho-Spine Center, a “horizontal hospital within a hospital,” is located on the third floor of the medical center. It includes 62 all-private patient rooms, specifically designed to care for post-operative orthopedic patients.
“St. Anthony’s has a talented and professional staff of orthopedic, spine and neurological surgeons who perform the latest procedures,” said Paul Young, M.D., St. Anthony’s chief of Neurosurgery. “The new Ortho-Spine Center is dedicated to helping patients recover from their surgeries by providing the best possible nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy and related services in one convenient location.”
More than 3,000 patients are treated at St. Anthony's each year for sports injuries, broken bones, torn ligaments, spine fusions, artificial discs and total joint replacements.
St. Anthony’s has a lower complication rate (19 percent better than the national average), lower mortality rate (48 percent better than the national average), and fewer readmissions (8 percent better than the national average) of orthopedic patients than other hospitals in a national comparison database (Delta Group, Inc. 2009).
The new Ortho-Spine Center’s nursing staff is notable for its experience and longevity in the field, said Kathy Cepicky, manager of Orthopedics. “Our experienced, dedicated nursing staff and highly skilled therapists are specially trained to care for patients with orthopedic, spinal and related problems,” she said.
Patient rooms on the Ortho-Spine Center feature double doors for easy access of equipment and bathrooms designed with the orthopedic patient in mind. Each room offers sleeping accommodations for a family member and a flat-screen television set. A dry-erase communication board in each room enables the patient’s nurse to continually update pertinent information – therapy schedule, times when pain medications are due, name and phone number of the nurse currently on duty. Two of the rooms are equipped with patient moving equipment designed for the needs of bariatric patients.
A bright, airy gym boasts specialized, state-of-the-art equipment, where patients receive physical and occupational therapy to help them regain the strength and flexibility they need to function normally at home. A specially designed “apartment,” where patients have the opportcentery to practice performing normal daily tasks, like making their beds or removing clothing from drawers, is available to help patients transition to home. A casting/splinting room is on site for patients’ convenience; and social workers are available to help with patient/family concerns and needs for any support services upon release from the hospital. Even patients’ home prescription needs are met at discharge.
“Patients can obtain everything they need before discharge, including prescriptions and some home medical equipment,” Cepicky said. “They don’t have to worry about stopping on the way home to drop off and pick up prescriptions."
An important component of St. Anthony’s orthopedic program is the Total Joint Replacement Preparation Class, designed for prospective surgical patients and their family members. Nurses and therapists explain exactly what the patient can expect – including equipment, procedures, therapies and the types of support available – from the first day of surgery through the day of release to home. The free class is offered at 8 a.m. every Tuesday.
“For more than 130 years, St. Anthony’s has been dedicated to providing advanced medicine and compassionate care to St. Louis area families,” said Rob Thames, St. Anthony’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. “St. Anthony’s is a leader in orthopedic/spine services, from the advanced technology in our all-new operating rooms to the latest equipment and highly skilled staff in our new Ortho-Spine Center. Our dedication and our service to this commcentery continue to grow.”
St. Anthony’s new Ortho-Spine Center is part of a $90 million hospital redesign that began in 2006 and is slated for completion in 2010. The redesign project includes construction of Cardinal Glennon Emergency Pediatric Care, a separate pediatric emergency department; the Heart and Surgical Pavilion, a four-story heart hospital within a hospital, including technologically advanced surgical suites; the new Ortho-Spine Center, containing all orthopedic, neurological and spinal services on one floor, and the relocation and renovation of other hospital units. St. Anthony’s Medical Center is located at 10010 Kennerly Road in south St. Louis County.
For more information about St. Anthony’s orthopedic or spine care, call 314-525-4002 or 1-800-554-9550.
Ortho-Spine Center Fact Sheet
The center contains 62 all-private patient rooms, featuring:
- double doors for easy access of equipment
- wheelchair-accessible sinks
- hand-held shower appliances
- elevated toilet seats
- sleeping accommodations for a family member
- flat-screen TV
- communication board
- two rooms with 600-pound capacity patient safety lifts.
Other amenities include:
- open, airy gym for physical and occupational therapy
- transitional apartment to help patients transition to home
- casting/splinting room
- social workers available to help access support services
- medical prescriptions and durable medical equipment provided on-site at discharge
- Total Joint Replacement Preparation Class for prospective surgical patients.
Orthopedic facts:
- More than 3,000 patients are treated at St. Anthony’s each year for sports injuries, broken bones, torn ligaments, spine fusions, artificial discs and total joint replacements.
- St. Anthony’s has a lower complication rate (19 percent better than the national average), lower mortality rate (48 percent better than the national average), and fewer readmissions (8 percent better than the national average) of orthopedic patients than other hospitals in a national comparison database (Delta Group, Inc. 2009).
- St. Anthony’s has one of the region’s largest orthopedic programs, with a talented, widely respected staff of orthopedic, spine and neurosurgeons who perform the latest procedures.
- St. Anthony’s Ortho-Spine Center is staffed by dedicated, experienced nurses and compassionate, highly skilled therapists, specially trained to care for orthopedic/spine patients.
For information, please call our Health Access Line at 314-ANTHONY (268-4669) or 800-554-9550 or visit our find a physician online.
At St. Anthony's, our vision is to be the area's premier health care organization — and your first choice for health care services.