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UPMC Susquehanna – The Endoscopy Unit

by Kristy Warren - June 29, 2017

It’s important for patients to know they always have a choice in where they receive their care. With over 75 years of experience serving our community, Soldiers + Sailors Memorial Hospital (SSMH) is here to meet all of your healthcare needs close-to-home, featuring world-class health professionals, a national A safety rating and a greater array of specialty services than ever before.

The cutting-edge, same-day surgery unit was constructed as part of the hospital’s two-story expansion project. Following the completion of the new emergency department housed on the first floor, construction began to transform the second floor into a surgical unit.

This new same-day surgery unit officially opened in fall 2012, featuring a dedicated infusion/transfusion room, endoscopy suite and 23 private prep / recovery rooms where patients are prepared for surgery and taken to recuperate following a procedure; the staff also utilizes a private access corridor to access the unit, promoting calm and rest before surgery and during recovery.

Designed by the staff, the unit is streamlined for the most effective patient flow and optimal patient care. Four nurses’ stations are strategically placed throughout the floor to allow staff to easily and effectively monitor all patients in a particular quadrant from a centralized location. All rooms are equipped with a headwall unit featuring oxygen, suction, a call bell, emergency call, television and a supply cart, giving nurses immediate and easy access to supplies as they care for patients.

All operating and endoscopy rooms house automated medication dispensers to make medication administration safer and more efficient and feature state-of-the-art anesthesia monitors. SSMH’s operating room was also recently renovated with to install even more advanced LED lighting and electrical booms.

“Over the years, the amount of electrified equipment in operating rooms has grown exponentially,” explains Ben Weiskopff, Manager of Surgical Services. “With ever- advancing technology, finding enough outlets to accommodate all of the growing equipment necessitated the installation of new electrical booms, which help power and house this important equipment in a neat, safe and central location. In addition to the new booms, we have also renovated the lighting. Our new surgical LED lighting is more adaptive, cooler in temperature and provides a better range of working distances than traditional bulbs.”

Waiting for a loved one to come out of surgery is never easy, but SSMH aims to take as much anxiety out of the experience as possible by featuring a spacious, comfortable waiting room with easy access to vending machines, televisions and an advanced information board where family members can use specially coded numbers to track the progress of their loved one through the stages of prep, surgery and recovery without revealing any private health information.

Stats:
• Scheduled Surgical Procedures (2016): 2,786
• 1,579 Scheduled Surgeries
• 1,207 Endoscopies
• Common same-day surgery procedures include: colonoscopies, gastroscopies, infusions, cataract removal, minor orthopedic procedures, and laparoscopic surgeries.

Terms:
Endoscopy: Endoscopy refers to examining inside the body using an endoscope, an instrument used to investigate the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the body. A common example is a GI tract endoscopy where medical professionals use an endoscope to examine and diagnose digestive problems. Our new endoscopy suite is comprised of two, state-of-the-art endoscopy rooms, four endoscopy prep/recovery rooms, and a central processing room for cleaning and disinfecting equipment.

Transfusion/Infusion: The infusion and transfusion area, featuring recliner chairs and stretchers, is designed for patients coming in for medication infusions or blood/blood product transfusions. Infusions allow medication to be administered by IV when oral medications are not an option. Blood transfusions are made to boost overall blood levels or supplement certain components of the blood following surgery, injury, illness, or diseases.

SSMH provides a full range of surgical, imaging, lab and rehabilitation services. A few of the many services they provide include:

• Colonoscopies, gastroscopies and transfusions
• Lab services
• Imaging, including x-ray, ultrasound, mammography, CT, MRI, nuclear medicine
• OB and expectant mother services
• Cancer treatment
• General and same-day surgery
• Joint replacement
• Cardiac, orthopedic, sports medicine, rheumatology, rehabilitation and ENT specialists
• Physical, occupational, vital-stim, pelvic floor and speech therapy
• Acute and emergency care

SSMH believes in the power of combining cutting-edge medicine with compassionate care to make our community a healthier place. If you are looking to schedule a surgical procedure, talk to your primary care physician about scheduling at Soldiers + Sailors Memorial Hospital today! For more information on the hospital or its services, call (570) 723-7764 or visit upmcsusquehanna.org.

Credits:

Videography: Andrew Moore, John Vogt
Video Editing: Andrew Moore
Writing: Kristy Warren
Anchor: Amiee Jones

Produced by Vogt Media
Home Page Sponsors: UPMC Susquehanna, Laurel Health Centers

 
 
 
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