MIL apie on v1 avcigy -ace sack] ne is “an bono] ad. sd Bor! &bea wet fei AS ‘en 7A pamed mwof acs Pt > a Specialty Hospitals Put The Patient First (NAPSA)—A new, more personalized approach to medical care has gotten healthy reviews from a number of doctors and patients. The approach involves hospitals where surgeons workonly in their field of expertise with their own hand-picked surgical team. Working consistently with the same team allows the group to become more comfortable with each other, which in turn leadsto greaterreliability andefficiency. In general hospitals, surgeons often work with rotating surgical teams who mayperform a variety of different procedures throughout the day. Some say the rota- es tion system puts surgeons ata disadvantage. “Outcomes improve significantly if the care is provided by specialists,” says Neurosurgeon Thomas W. Grahm. “The more comfortable a surgeon is with his team, the better work he does. The difference may be only a few percentage points, and in most cases that doesn’t mean anything in the ultimate outcome of the case, but occasionally it does.” “There are a lot of reasons why we think this is an idea whose time has come,” adds Neurosur- geon Guy O. Danielson III. Danielson and Grahm are among the 23 physicians who founded the Texas Spine and Joint Hospital (TSJH) in Tyler, Texas. The hospital, like other specialty hospitals, is designed to provide exceptional, focused care in a small, comfortable environment Specialty hospitals focus on one particular segment of medicine. designed specifically for spine and joint patients. It is staffed by highly respected orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons and physicians specializing in pain management. Thefacility has just 20 beds. Each room has been designed to seem as muchlike homeaspossible, by using warm, comfortable fabrics and furniture and by providing spa-style, white terry-cloth robes. “To every patient who needs our services it’s an opportunity to be part of a focused environment wherethey'll get enhancedcare for their needs,” says founding orthopedic surgeon Jan H. Garrett. For more information, visit www.tsjh.org.
