Southeast Orthopedic Specialists, in partnership with Ascension St. Vincent’s, opened an ambulatory surgery center March 5 in St. Augustine, expanding options for outpatient orthopedic care in St. Johns County.
The 18,500-square-foot surgery center at 45 Groover Loop, Suite 100, includes four operating rooms and 17 preoperative and postanesthesia care beds, according to the Ascension website. The surgery center joins a clinic and digital imaging center already on the campus.
The opening is part of Ascension St. Vincent’s initiative to invest in ambulatory surgery centers and other medical facilities that shift care away from hospitals.
Advances in technology and less-invasive techniques mean procedures that once required a hospital stay now can be performed in an outpatient setting, which can mean easier access for patients, less time away from family and often lower out-of-pocket costs.
Ascension St. Vincent’s also plans birthing centers in St. Johns and Clay counties.
Speakers at an opening event were Dr. Paul Roettges, an orthopedic surgeon at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists; Scott Kashman, president and CEO of Ascension St. Vincent’s Riverside and interim market lead for Ascension St. Vincent’s; and Isabelle Renault, president and CEO of the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce.
Established in 2001, Southeast Orthopedic Specialists has 12 Northeast Florida locations specializing in orthopedic surgery, spine care, physical medicine and rehabilitation, pain management, chiropractic and podiatry.
Ascension St. Vincent’s was founded in 1916 and operates four hospitals and 90 other care sites in Florida.