The Medford City Council approved the site plan and special permit required for the construction of an ambulatory surgery center at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. The unanimous vote paves the way for the 16,000 square-foot joint venture between MelroseWakefield Healthcare, Shields Health Care Group and the Tufts Medical Center Physicians Organization. The one-story ambulatory surgery center will be located within the existing footprint of Lawrence Memorial Hospital and will include new state-of-the-art operating rooms and procedural rooms for outpatient surgery.
“We are deeply appreciative of the support and collaboration by the Medford City Council, the Mayor’s office and our neighbors in helping to bring this new service to Medford,” said Sue Sandberg, MBA, RN, CEO of MelroseWakefield Healthcare. “This state-of-the-art facility will provide outpatient surgery by leading orthopedic, gastroenterology and ear, nose and throat surgeons, including specialists from Tufts Medical Center, locally for patients.”
“It is also an example of how we are working to advance community healthcare,” Sandberg continued. “Massachusetts healthcare is among the most expensive, and our work to bring more services from academic Boston settings to community locations is fundamental to improving access and helping to lower cost.”
“The development of the ambulatory surgery center,” Sandberg added, “is also key to the transformation of the Lawrence Memorial Hospital campus overall as we focus on outpatient services that patients need. The future of the Lawrence Memorial Hospital campus is one of comprehensive outpatient care for patients of all ages in one convenient, easy to get to location.
“Shields Health Care Group is thrilled to partner with MelroseWakefield Healthcare and the Tufts Medical Center Physicians Organization to bring this vision to life,” said Tom Shields, president and CEO of Shields. “This new ASC will feature cutting-edge technology that is changing the way that health care is delivered. For patients, it means getting care that is high quality and low cost, in an attractive and convenient setting near home.”
“I am excited about this project because it represents a further deepening of the affiliation between MelroseWakefield Healthcare and Tufts Medical Center,” said Dr. Charles Cassidy, chair of the Department of Orthopedics at Tufts Medical Center and professor and chair of Orthopaedic Surgery for Tufts University School of Medicine. “This ambulatory surgery center is an opportunity for us to collectively provide outstanding care to our patients in a more convenient and lower cost setting.”
Ambulatory surgery centers are modern outpatient healthcare facilities that provide same-day surgical procedures. Patients arrive on the day of the procedure, have the surgery in an operating room or procedure room, and recover under the care of the onsite medical staff, all without a hospital admission, returning home the same day.
As care advances, an ambulatory surgery center offers a cost-effective and convenient environment for patients that many patients and surgeons prefer.
