Complete, collaborative care will take a major step forward with the opening of ThedaCare Medical Center-Orthopedic, Spine and Pain. It’s the region’s only comprehensive hospital dedicated exclusively to those three disciplines.
The cente is slated to open July 25, 2022. It offers high-end features and brings together experts from ThedaCare and Neuroscience Group. Teams collaborate to provide seamless, coordinated care for the full range of orthopedic, spine, and pain needs. It’s all toward the goal of providing patient-focused, efficient care at a reduced cost.
Patient-Centered
The centers amentities are designed to create a smoother path to recovery. They include home simulations that help patients and their families prepare for a return to home life after a procedure, meals to go, and an onsite retail pharmacy.
David Corso, Vice President of ThedaCare Medical Center-Orthopedic, Spine and Pain, says the facility puts patient needs and wants at the forefront.
“It’s about bringing services and clinicians to the patient,” Corso says. “If the patient needs surgery, instead of having to go to several places to have multiple pre-surgery preparations performed, we’re going to perform all the surgical optimization in one visit at the center.”
The center also provides services that cater to athletes of all kinds. The outpatient therapy space offers features that simulate various activities. These include turf; net cages for baseball, softball, and golf; a hardwood court for sports like basketball and volleyball; and a warm-water pool for aquatic therapy.
Prioritizing Population Health
With people living longer lives and many remaining active well into their senior years, the need for orthopedic, spine and pain care is increasing. In 2021, Harvard Health stated that surgeons perform an average of 600,000 knee replacements and about 330,000 hip replacements each year. Those figures are expected to increase by a factor of five or six by 2035.
In addition, in 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 20.4% of adults had chronic pain, and 7.4% of adults had chronic pain that frequently limited life or work activities (referred to as high-impact chronic pain). Chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain both increased with age and were highest among adults aged 65 and over.
ThedaCare Medical Center-Orthopedic, Spine and Pain is designed to meet the increasing need for specialized care.
“The goal is to make exceptional care effortless for patients and families by understanding individual needs,” says Imran Andrabi, MD, President and CEO of ThedaCare.
Experts in surgery, physical therapy, pain management, and sports medicine helped design the flow of space, people, equipment and technology throughout the facility. A highlight of the center is the ThedaCare orthopedic and spine hospital. It consists of operating suites designed for and dedicated to orthopedic and spine surgery, 25 inpatient beds, and support services including imaging, lab, pharmacy and dining.
A Critical Need
Dr. Nickolas Linkous, an orthopedic sports surgeon with ThedaCare, cares for individuals with a range of needs. That includes athletes looking to return to their sports and people with chronic hip, knee, and shoulder problems.
“We’re seeing that patients are staying active longer and are less willing to sacrifice their sports, hobbies, and passions in the face of orthopedic injuries,” he says. “Many of my patients are the ‘weekend warrior’ trying to get back to pickle ball or their golf league. My goal is to help them overcome their orthopedic injuries so they can get back to what inspires them.”
“Many of my patients are the ‘weekend warrior’ trying to get back to pickle ball or their golf league. My goal is to help them overcome their orthopedic injuries so they can get back to what inspires them.”
Dr. Nickolas Linkous, Orthopedic Sports Surgeon, ThedaCare Orthopedic Care
Dr. Linkous says the center will offer all-encompassing health care for patients with orthopedic injuries. For example, a patient could come for care at the orthopedic walk-in clinic and follow up with a surgeon at the same facility. In addition, offering perioperative services, surgery, post-operative care, and physical and occupational therapy in one facility streamlines patient care.
“The center takes all these different points of care and brings them to one convenient place for our patients,” Dr. Linkous says. “Instead of these health care teams stretched across various points in the Fox Cities, they’re literally steps away from each other. This optimizes communication and ultimately leads to great patient care.”
