ORA, Genesis Work Together to Serve Changing Patients Needs
BETTENDORF, IOWA - Three things happen when Bonnie Swanson shows off the new facility of Orthopaedic & Rheumatology Associates. She expresses pride in the beauty of the building; she points out her favorite features; and, her face definitely lights up.
Everyone’s face lights up from the natural outside light streaming into the entire 77,000-square-foot facility.
“The outside light available throughout the building is probably the thing I enjoy the most,’’ explained Swanson, R.N., administrative director of Orthopaedic & Rheumatology Associates, the largest orthopaedic and rheumatology practice between Chicago and Omaha. “No matter where you are in the building, even in the MRI room, there is light from the outside.’’
The facility at 18th Street and 53rd Avenue in Bettendorf is an expansion and a consolidation of the Iowa services of ORA, but is not replacing the offices at 1414 W. Lombard St., Davenport The West Lombard office will continue to offer rheumatology services, and there will be orthopaedic surgeons available there each day. ORA also has an office in Moline.
The Bettendorf project allows ORA to provide the full range of the practice’s services in one building and is designed to offer patients comprehensive services, including assessment, surgery and postsurgical care and rehabilitation.
Surgery center
Through a joint venture with Genesis, the building features a state-of-the-art surgery center with two operating suites and postoperative and recovery areas. The center responds to the trend toward outpatient treatment options in health care. Nearly 80 percent of surgeries performed in the U.S. can be done on an outpatient basis.
Next door to the ORA building at the 16-acre Genesis Medical Park at Crow Valley, Gastroenterology Associates, P.C. also offers its patients a full-service facility, including on-site procedures made possible through collaboration with Genesis.
“Surgery centers provide a pleasant, efficient and convenient setting for a larger number of orthopaedic procedures,’’ said Joseph Martin, M.D., an ORA physician. “Surgery centers have been successful nationally and locally, and we believe that this partnership with Genesis will result in the delivery of the highest quality of orthopaedic care.’’
The Genesis partnerships with leading physician practices in the region benefit everyone involved, according to Leo Bressanelli, President and CEO of Genesis Health System.
“We are pleased to partner with Orthopaedic and Rheumatology Associates on a project that will benefit both of our organizations, but more importantly, will benefit the patients of both organizations,’’ Bressanelli said.
“Whenever appropriate for the care of the patient, Genesis supports the wishes and needs of patients through our partnerships with physician groups that are leaders in our region, especially Orthopaedic & Rheumatology Associates. We congratulate ORA on its spectacular new facility, and we are proud to be associated with an organization like ORA as we collaborate to meet the needs of patients we serve in the region.’’
Swanson said the need for expansion became apparent within the practice four years ago. “The space we had was no longer sufficient for the needs of the practice, and it is a practice that continues to grow,’’ she said.
The surgery suites reflect a changing health care environment. Other features of the building respond to the needs of the ORA practice and the wishes of the community.
The new ORA facility has 20 exam rooms, an upgraded MRI unit and an 8,000-square foot physical therapy and physical therapy gym. Genesis Physical Therapy will provide the latest equipment and staff.
The high-speed Siemens Symphony MRI will maximize patient comfort by making scans faster for the patient and the clinician. The scanner automates all imaging processes to keep examination times to a minimum.
ORA began seeing patients Feb. 12 in the new facility. The first surgeries are scheduled for early March. ORA physicians and staff invite the public to an open house on Sunday from 2-4 p.m. Tours will be available.
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