In the next decade, orthopedic surgery will move further toward a multidisciplinary approach to care, with large musculoskeletal campuses fostering greater collaboration, research, education and patient care.
Six orthopedic supercenters on the East Coast, including two in the works:
1. The University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville opened a 195,000-square-foot campus in February. The campus, described as "a game-changer for orthopedic care in our region," by Bobby Chhabra, MD, chair of UVA Health's orthopedic surgery department, comprises 90 exam rooms, four operating rooms (with plans to expand to six), surgery support, imaging services and a pharmacy. The campus unites all of UVA Orthopedics' outpatient clinics and brings the health system's musculoskeletal care, research and education under one roof. It also includes an education center and bioskills lab to train orthopedic residents and fellows.
2. Emory Healthcare's 180,000-square-foot, six-story Musculoskeletal Institute in Atlanta opened in October. The $130 million complex is part of Emory Healthcare's $1 billion health innovation district. One hundred seventeen exam rooms are included in the facility, which houses multiple centers of excellence programs, such as the Emory Spine Center, Emory Joint Reconstruction Center and Emory Musculoskeletal Oncology Division.
3. UR Medicine has completed construction of its $240 million, 330,000-square-foot orthopedic campus in Rochester, N.Y. The campus's surgery center will open this year, with a four-story patient tower opening in 2023. UR Medicine estimates the center will see about 250,000 patients a year.
4. Geisinger is planning a $180 million orthopedic campus in Buckhorn, Pa. The facility will include specialized operating rooms, an inpatient unit focused on recovery after surgery, an imaging center, a pharmacy and physical and occupational therapy services. An outpatient clinic will focus on wellness; injury prevention; and bone, joint and muscle health. The campus is projected to open in 2024.
5. Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City is the oldest orthopedic hospital in the U.S. The hospital performs more than 32,000 surgeries a year and more hip and knee surgeries than any other surgical hospital in the country. HSS is also building a 12-story, 94,000-square-foot tower next to its main campus that will cost more than $130 million.
6. The University of Florida Health Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Institute in Gainesville expanded in July after adding a physical medicine and rehabilitation department and residency program, its first new clinical department in 30 years. The 127,000-square foot campus provides the broad spectrum of spine and orthopedic care and sees more than 50,000 patients a year.