Summer Opening on Target for New Ambulatory Surgical Center

An architect's rendering of URMC’s new Ambulatory
Surgical Center being built on Sawgrass Drive,
just off Westfall Road. Construction began in
early spring, and a July 2009 opening is planned.

Construction is steadily progressing on the Medical Center’s new Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC). Located at 180 Sawgrass Drive, just off Westfall Road, the ASC will contain 10 operating rooms and two procedure rooms, as well as space for pre- and post-operative care, a materials processing unit for instrument sterilization and preparation, and patient/family waiting room areas.

The ASC is greatly needed to decompress surgical case loads in Strong Memorial’s operating suite. Like the hospital itself, Strong Memorial’s 33 operating rooms run at capacity each day, making it increasingly difficult to accommodate both its inpatient and outpatient cases, as well as emergency cases that routinely bump elective surgeries from the schedule.

Michael Maloney, M.D., associate professor of Orthopaedics, who will also serve as the medical director of the ASC, said that outpatient surgical centers also meet another need: patient’s expectations.

“Outpatient surgical centers have created an efficient model for handling surgeries in a way that optimizes the care and service for patients,” Maloney said. “Because they handle only elective, pre-scheduled surgeries, they aren’t forced to shift schedules to accommodate emergencies. This allows them to run very efficiently and in a manner that more and more patients are coming to expect.”

Castle Office Group, LLC, is constructing the 80,000 square-foot medical facility; the ASC will take up 52,000 square feet. Castle Group expects to lease the remaining space to other health care related groups. Construction of the facility continues on schedule, and a summer 2009 opening is planned.