5/29/19 Presbyterian Healthcare Services to open ambulatory surgery centers - Albuquerque Business First

Presbyterian to open one of SW's largest specialty surgical centers

Clay Holderman, chief operating officer and executive vice president, Presbyterian Healthcare Services, said new ambulatory surgery centers could cut health care costs by 40 percent.

In its continued push to lower health care costs for patients and itself, Presbyterian Healthcare Services is gearing up a trio of ambulatory surgery centers, including one it says will be among the region's largest.

Presbyterian is partnering with New Mexico Orthopaedic Associates for a surgery center set to open in early 2020 on the Presbyterian Kaseman Hospital campus, 8300 Constitution Ave. NE, according to a news release. Presbyterian said it plans to follow that surgery center with two additional ones, one in Albuquerque and one in Rio Rancho, both scheduled to open in 2020. Total renovation and construction costs are expected to be $21.2 million.

The first surgery center with New Mexico Orthopaedic Associates will focus on same-day orthopedic, podiatry and pain surgical services. While New Mexico Orthopaedics operates an ambulatory surgery center at Presbyterian Hospital, the new location and partnership with Presbyterian will provide more room for growth, the nonprofit said in a news release. The new center is expected to improve access to inpatient care in local hospitals. Presbyterian said early estimates show nearly 16,000 surgeries and procedures will be performed at the center annually. Both New Mexico Orthopaedics and Presbyterian expect other independent physicians and groups will also provide orthopedic, pain and podiatry services at the center.

Presbyterian said the first center will be 35,600 square feet. The company said while most ambulatory surgery centers have three to four operating centers, this new center will have twice that many. No contractor has been selected yet; Presbyterian said it prefers to use local contractors. Dekker/Perich/Sabatini is the architectural firm for the project.

Moving some surgeries to ambulatory surgery centers from inpatient hospital services can cut health costs by 40 percent, said Clay Holderman, COO and executive vice president for Presbyterian.

"We think that is a big deal," Holderman said.

The projected decline in costs comes from ambulatory surgery centers not requiring expensive inpatient hospital services.