* The "patient" in the above photos is a mannequin.

"St. Joseph is committed to the future of medicine," said Mark Riley, MD orthopaedic surgeon and SJRHC governance member. Dr. Riley said that the future of medicine is moving toward more non-invasive "scope-type" procedures and digital information. "This state-of-the-art equipment brings these technologies together and represents the best available, especially for a community our size," Riley added.

The four new surgical suites are state-of-the-art and have been attracting attention from hospitals in larger markets. The suites each feature voice command technology that allows the physician to control lighting and the position of displays through a headset worn during procedures. A large 50-inch plasma display has the ability to integrate digital images from a patient’s medical file with real time images coming from the surgical scopes used during procedures. Multiple flat panel displays allow the entire surgical team to be involved in the procedure and monitor the patient. The new surgical suites are also the first to enable the surgical staff to control almost everything in the room by utilizing touch-screen technology in a sterile field. This improves efficiency, safety, patient care and staff satisfaction. Physicians are also able to gain real time access to expertise around the world through telementoring and telesurgery without having to leave the surgical suite.

"The better the technolgy, the better we can be, and hopefully the better outcomes we have," said Tom Salzer, MD, local otolaryngologist, "With this system, we can even access digital information from the patient’s records in our office, making us more efficient with our surgical procedures."

Not only are turn over times between procedures decreased through improved efficiencies, the new rooms also increase the number of surgical suites at SJRHC from 12 to 16 surgery rooms. This significant growth allows surgeons more opportunities to schedule their cases.

According to Pat Walker, RN, BS, Director of Surgical Services at SJRHC, St. Joseph is prepared for the future of surgical procedures by bringing emerging digital technology in healthcare into the operating room, setting the stage for newer, less-invasive procedures, and by bringing the latest in technology to the Brazos Valley.