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MHUC works to secure spot in healthcare marketplace
November 06, 2008 at 12:07 pm
By CORINNE BIX
Memorial Hospital of Union County is working to provide its patients with full-service healthcare through the development and expansion of various medical specialties.
The hospital’s strategy is three-fold, with a focus on recruiting additional qualified doctors to meet the needs of a growing community, committing to state-of-the-art technology and providing post-treatment care options to better ensure the prolonged health of their patients.
MHUC has been working over the last year to build and improve the hospital’s orthopedic services and is using the same three-part approach to expand other departments, including pediatrics, neurology, urology and cardiology.
“We are trying to look at all aspects so that patients in the community can get the most thorough and complete healthcare,” said Spence Fisher, vice president of physician relations and business development.
MHUC started to put more of a focus on orthopedics because the hospital wanted to actively address the shortage of orthopedic treatment and surgery in the area.
The hospital recently opened the Mill Valley Medical Building at the corner of Route 31 and Mill Wood Boulevard, which houses the orthopedic offices of Dr. Mark Stover and Dr. Douglas Skura. In addition, Mill Valley Pediatrics is located in an adjacent suite.
Stover and Skura’s offices feature 3,200 square feet of space and includes six exam rooms, one x-ray room and one casting room.
Dr. Stover has worked in the community since 1983. Dr. Skura is a recent transplant who re-located to MHUC from Armstrong City Memorial Hospital in Kittanning, Pa.
Skura officially joined Marysville Orthopedics on Sept. 22. He said he wanted to be part of the MHUC team for several reasons.
“I could tell they (MHUC) had similar goals to mine in that they want to provide excellent patient care,” Skura explained.
He said he was impressed by the hospital’s facilities; patients could get the attention a small hospital offers without sacrificing the technology found at a big city hospital.
In 2007, the hospital completely renovated and updated its CT/MRI suite to complement new technology.
The dual-source 64-slice CT (computed tomography) scanner uses two x-ray sources and two detectors simultaneously which allows for better resolution, double the speed and twice the power in less time. In addition, a new MRI machine was purchased and added to complete the hospital’s plan to offer comprehensive imaging services.
Skura said he was drawn to being able to offer his patients one-stop shopping; along with Dr. Stover, the various orthopedic needs of patients can be met in terms of treatment, and top-notch technology is conveniently located within the area.
“I like practicing in a community like this where I can get to know my patients and treat a wider variety of orthopedic conditions, “ Skura said.
Fisher explained the hospital’s acquisition of the Picture Archival Computer System (PACS) has been instrumental in all departments, including orthopedics because all patient information, treatment, x-ray imaging etc. is linked per the computer system.
For example, in the case of an orthopedic x-ray, a patient can have the scan in the morning and the images are available instantly at his or her follow-up office visit that afternoon which allows more immediate treatment.
Fisher said the orthopedic surgeons also work collaboratively with the hospital’s physical therapy department.
“Together they develop a customized physical therapy plan to maximize recovery, allowing the patient to improve and return to life and the things they were doing before surgery,” Fisher explained.
He added that in order to offer a patient quality healthcare, it’s necessary to have all the pieces of the puzzle working together to complete the big picture, which hopefully results in a healthier and happier patient.
In terms of orthopedics, Fisher said it’s been a great project to work on and grow.
“It is really exciting because it was a much needed service and it’s neat to tie it all together,” Fisher explained.
The hospital has already recruited a third orthopedist, Dr. Gregory Carozza, DO., who will join Drs. Stover and Skura in 2010.
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