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Steve continues: “What we do here on-site
is only a part of what we do overall. This is
only a third of the whole concept, because
our staff is in touch with these people way
before and way after surgery. Patients are
educated beforehand to know what to
expect - and then they have a safety net
after, so it’s really great.”
The Orthopedic and Spine Institute
is designed for comfort and healing.
Patients are urged to wear their own
clothes as soon as possible, and family
members are encouraged to participate
throughout the process. The Institute’s
post-operative unit has been revamped
to meet the needs of patients and their
families following orthopedic surgery. The
unit is located on the third oor in the East
Tower and has 20 suites, in a comfortable
hotel-like setting. The private rooms
feature sleeper sofas or recliners for family
members, televisions, and concierge
service to meet the patients’ needs.
Some of the new amenities in the
department include a refreshed lounge
for patients and families featuring daily
snacks, hot food, and coffee; and a new
gym and physical therapy room where
patients can begin the recovery process
in the company of their loved ones and
other rehabilitating patients.
The staff also added a new chart featuring
a beach scene with each of the patients
represented by baby sea turtles. Each
patient’s sea turtle is moved closer to
the ocean, tracking the steps that the
patient takes, thus monitoring their
progress toward recovery. This small
feature provides some much-needed
encouragement - and even a bit of goodnatured
competition - for the patients,
enhancing the healing process.
Laurie Hicks, Blake’s Director of
Orthopedic Program Development,
serves as a liaison between patients
and doctors for pre-operative and postoperative
care. Asked what outcomes
she hopes to see as a result of the
recent changes to the department, she
says: “We’d like to see Blake become
the destination of choice for orthopedic
surgery. So that people want to come
here - not just for specic doctors - but
we want people to say ‘I’m going to Blake’
because that’s where they’ve got to go!
And the patients that have been through
this program, that’s what they’re saying:
‘We’re going out and letting everybody
know how great it is here.’ We want to be
THE choice for Manatee County.”