PinnacleHealth opened its Surgery Optimization Clinic to serve high-risk patients, according to Newswise.
Here are six things to know:
1. The clinic was initially opened for high-risk orthopedic surgery patients and will be open to other service lines by the end of the year.
2. Surgeons can refer high-risk patients preoperatively to the clinic for a health status assessment over the phone or at the clinic to identify and mitigate risks. Risks include:
• High blood pressure
• Tobacco use
• Over or underweight
3. Surgeons can recommend patients improve their health before surgery as a result of the consultations with interventions like new treatment, seeking additional therapies or lifestyle changes. The clinic aims to "look at the whole person" before treatment.
4. The clinic provides additional one-on-one pre-surgical education and can coordinate care between the patient and their primary care providers, surgeons and anesthesiologists.
5. PinnacleHealth launched the peri-optimization program last year for knee, hip and spine procedures. They found patients who were engaged in care prior to surgery reported less anxiety and knew what to expect.
6. The clinic will open in August.