Outpatient surgeries ending at Faxton

UTICA, N.Y. » The Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) has experienced a decrease in the number of outpatient surgeries/ procedures performed at its campus locations due to the opening of freestanding ambulatory surgical centers in the area. Because of the change in practice and its impact on the organization, MVHS is closing the outpatient surgical services at the Faxton Campus. Currently MVHS provides ambulatory surgery at three campus locations, Faxton, St. Luke’s and St. Elizabeth.

“In recent years the ambulatory surgery center at the Faxton Campus has limited its outpatient surgery schedule to just three days a week,” said Robert C. Scholefield, MS, RN, executive vice president/chief operating officer for MVHS. “We have not needed to use the facility full-time. Even with this change we will continue to meet the surgical needs of our community by providing ongoing inpatient and outpatient surgery at our two main campuses, St. Luke’s and St. Elizabeth.”

MVHS estimates the timing for the transition to be between three and six months. MVHS is working on a transition plan for the 44 full and part-time employees at the Faxton campus that will be impacted by the change.

“Over the years our Faxton team has provided extraordinary care for our patients,” noted Scholefield. “We greatly appreciate their dedication, expertise and commitment to patient care. They have worked collaboratively, with the patients and surgeons in mind, through a number of transitions as the outpatient surgery model has changed. We will do all we can to help transition themto another role within the system.”

Nearly 1,800 outpatient surgeries were performed in 2017 at the Faxton Campus including eye, pediatric orthopedics, general orthopedics, dental (pediatric and adult), gynecology, general surgery and ear, nose and throat procedures.