Local surgical center hosting open house Wednesday

Cumberland Valley Surgical Center, located off of KY. 770 near Corbin, is a 16,500 square feet facility that specializes in numerous types of surgery outside of a traditional hospital setting. Surgical center officials say the cost of such procedures is usually considerably cheaper.

With the cost of medical care continuing to increase, one trend in the medical community is to move toward smaller, more specialized facilities and the Cumberland Valley Surgical Center in north Corbin is providing one such avenue for 35 area physicians.

The center, located off of Ky. 770, provides the credential physicians with the facilities and staff to perform outpatient procedures in eight different specialties including: Ophthalmology, Gynecology, Podiatry, Gastroenterology, pediatric dental, adult dental, ocular plastics and general surgical procedures.

“Part of the solution to the healthcare crisis is to deliver healthcare at a higher quality and lower cost,” said Dr. Alan Graham, the Medical Director at the facility, who is also a practicing general surgeon.

Graham said the facility, which is approximately 16,500 square feet and includes three operating rooms and two procedure rooms, can provide the facilities for a procedure at approximately one-sixth of the cost of a traditional hospital.

“It would cost about $12,000 to have a gall bladder procedure at a hospital. Here, we can do it for $2,000,” Graham said.

“We are able to contain those costs and that in turn is given back to the insurers,” said Kim Turner, the administrator at the facility. “The savings can be 40 to 50 percent of your traditional options.”

Graham said in an age when patients are willing to take their business elsewhere, even if it means travelling outside of the immediate area, it is paramount that facilities also provide them with a positive experience

The recovery area of the center.

“Any negative comment we get back, we individually will contact that patient and discuss that with them and try to figure out ways to improve our services,” Turner said.

Each patient receives a comment card upon discharge to provide not only feedback, but also any ways in which they feel the experience may be improved.

“A lot of times they have really good suggestions and we don’t even think about it because we are in such a routine from being here all the time,” add Christy Elliott, Clinical Director at the surgery center.

While the facility is dedicated to outpatient surgery, Turner said the facility is equipped to handle any type of emergency that would arise from surgical complications and has a transfer agreement in place with local hospital should the need arise.

The center will be hosting an informal open house from 6-8 p.m. today.

“We are trying to make people aware that there is a choice if they must have one of these procedures.

More information about the facility is available online at http://cvsurgicalcenter.com.