Progress is constant at PPMC: Just a few months opening the doors of the comprehensive new radiation, oncology, and infusion suite in May, the floor above the suite was transformed with two of its four planned operating rooms in an effort to better manage growing demand for surgery. For Mark-Alan Pizzini, MD, associate executive director of Perioperative Services and chief of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Presby’s ability to forge ahead with these plans even in challenging times demonstrates the hospital’s “dedication to creating state-of-the-art advancements that keep Penn Medicine the premier health system in the region.”
In the Q&A below, Pizzini shared more details about the process of opening the new ORs amid a pandemic and what they offer for Presby’s patients.
Q: Completing this project amid COVID-19 must have been a challenge! What was that process like?
A: It takes a village to successfully plan, design, and execute projects like this. It is definitely a team-driven process, and takes a lot of hard work from many people to make it successful. Our nursing, anesthesia, facilities, regulatory, safety, pharmacy, and IS teams — and more! — all played integral parts in this project.
As for the timeline, we were approaching our scheduled completion dates for the first OR in April when COVID-19 hit. The pandemic led to a complete restructuring of all capital projects across the health system. In an effort to flatten the curve, PPMC also postponed surgeries where possible, and our daily OR volume plummeted. There were times in late March and April where we were concerned that we wouldn’t have either the volume or capital to complete the ORs in the foreseeable future! Fortunately, as COVID-19 numbers waned and patients whose care had been delayed returned to the hospital, our senior team was able to move forward on the OR project to meet our patient-care needs. In August, the state’s Division of Acute and Ambulatory Care visited and gave us the thumbs up to open.
Q: What sets these ORs apart, and what impact will they have on patients and staff?
A: The ORs have state-of-the-art equipment, monitors, and lighting, as well as new terrazzo flooring. They were designed with laminar air flow ventilation, which uses positive pressure currents to direct air away from the operative field in order to prevent contamination. Not all ORs can accommodate all types of surgical cases due to size and technology limitations, so the flexibility of the new ORs allows them to handle virtually every type of surgical case, including advanced spine and cardiac cases. This gives our staff much greater ability to provide whatever surgical care is required, resulting in improved patient outcomes. We also expect that the patient experience will improve with the reduction in wait time for care.
Q: How does the opening of these ORs and the plans for two more reflect Presby’s growth goals?
A: PPMC is invested in expanding and adapting to meet the needs of our patients, visitors, and staff. Decisions around expansion of any kind — these ORs, construction of our radiation-oncology suite, adding floor beds — are closely examined before the green light to move forward is given. In this case, our increasing surgical volume meant patients were facing longer wait times for their medically necessary procedures. Adding operating rooms and subsequently increasing the allocated operative time for our surgeons will help to address this issue. These new ORs serve as just one example of our commitment to expanding our surgical and procedural services.