With procedure volumes increasing dramatically over the past three years, the outpatient surgery center at Aurora BayCare Medical Center is undergoing an expansion that will more than double its size.

The surgery center, located on the west side of the hospital, will gain 2 operating rooms for a new total of 6. The project also includes adding two other rooms for minor surgical procedures and additional pre-operative and recovery space.
A separate pain management area with 2 procedure rooms designed specifically to meet the needs of those suffering from acute or chronic pain also will be added.

The project also includes adding 4 rooms for outpatient gastrointestinal procedures such as colonoscopies and endoscopies. When complete, all such procedures will be moved from the hospital to the surgery center to free up more operating room space in the inpatient areas of the hospital.

“We simply have run out of space. This new construction will allow us to meet demand for these services and will enhance the patient experience,” said Linda Smith, administrator of Aurora BayCare. “So many procedures are done on an outpatient basis now that patients can take advantage of a facility like the surgery center when a hospital stay isn’t required.”

Over the past 3 years, the number of surgeries performed at the surgery center has increased 41%, while pain procedures at the surgery center have increased 60%. During the same period, gastrointestinal procedures at Aurora BayCare have increased 159%.

The surgery center will grow from its current 26,200 square feet to nearly 53,000 square feet. The project represents the final phase of Aurora BayCare’s 2005 expansion plan. The hospital is currently completing the addition of a new patient wing and ambulance garage.

The surgery center expansion will include a new entrance with a patient drop-off canopy, and 63 additional parking spaces. The project is underway and is expected to be completed next summer.

The surgery center was the first medical facility built on what became the Aurora BayCare Medical Center campus in Green Bay’s I-43 Industrial Park. The surgery center opened in 1999.
Aurora Health Care is a not-for-profit Wisconsin health care provider and a nationally recognized leader in efforts to improve the quality of health care. Aurora has care sites in more than 90 communities throughout eastern Wisconsin.

BayCare Clinic facilities are staffed by nearly 100 physicians, surgeons and specialty providers representing the very best of 20 medical specialties. As northeastern Wisconsin’s largest independent, physician-owned organization, BayCare is dedicated to providing patient choice and high-quality care.

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Contact: Mike Spofford (920-445-2165)