Opened: Aug. 1994
Annual case volume: 2,500 cases
Specialties: Endoscopy, general surgery, orthopedics and pain management
Number of physician users: 10 on staff, including anesthesia
Corporate/Hospital partner: Interventional Management Services/Charlotte Regional Medical Center
What makes it great: Harborside Surgery Center, a triangular joint venture between Interventional Management Services and the local HMA hospital Charlotte Regional Medical Center, strives to never stray from its mission: “To provide state of the art surgical care in a safe and friendly atmosphere. Our care will be personalized and of the highest quality, yet cost effective.” The surgery center’s dedication to this mission is evident in its patient satisfaction rates, which average 95 percent. But the ASC is setting its goal even higher, says Charlene Gorrill, RN, director of nurses for HSC.
“We have recently initiated analyzing these comments in order of occurrence in reception, billing, pre-op, procedure or recovery room in order to improve,” says Ms. Gorrill. “We call all patients that have written comments that need clarification and find just by listening and responding to their comments [we] can often bridge any gaps. People want to be heard and appreciated and our goal is to increase their satisfaction 100 percent by treating all patients as family.”
Ms. Gorrill, who came to the ASC 11 years ago after working at a hospital, says HSC’s staff members understand how one dissatisfied customer can have an adverse effect for HarborSide and the physicians, which has resulted in the surgery center’s “at-your-service attitude.”
The commitment to patient satisfaction is a critical reason why she says HSC is an outstanding place to work, but also key is the staff, who bring over 100 years of experience in many different healthcare settings, including home health, labor and delivery to critical and emergency care. The ASC experiences very little turnover and some personnel have worked there more than 15 years. Staff members also take ownership and pride in their work, says Sharon Scalzone, RN, who works in the ASC’s PACU. “Each day as I am doing discharge instructions, I am interrupted with comments such as ‘this is the best surgery center I have ever been to’ or ‘you have the most professional and efficient staff here.’ People love us.”
And the staff members are rewarded for their efforts, with a comprehensive benefits package that includes health insurance, 401k, group life insurance and long-term disability insurance.
