One of the crucial keys to delivering quality health care is providing easy access. Patients need to have medical facilities staffed by the best and the brightest, and those locations need to be placed in areas to which people have trouble-free accessibility. The Blue Bell Surgery Center fits the bill and then some, offering the next step the highly regarded Phoenixville Hospital is taking to provide excellence in surgical care to the local population.
The Blue Bell Surgery Center is a four-room, multispecialty facility that opened in September 2008. A department of Phoenixville Hospital, the center performs only same-day procedures, specializing in breast surgery, colon and rectal surgery, vascular surgery, orthopedics, ENT (ear, nose and throat), pain management, plastic surgery, general surgery, ophthalmology and gastroenterology. Surgeons at the Blue Bell location currently see approximately 300 patients monthly.
Blue Bell Surgery Center was designed with the input from a variety of specialists who perform the same-day surgeries at the location. That way, the facility is set up specifically to best aid the patients who need to go there. Because these surgeries require more care than can be offered in a primary doctor’s office but do not require an overnight hospital stay, patients spend less time away from their families and are able to better maintain their work schedules. And because the facility performs only outpatient, procedures, the Center can provide services at a lower cost, passing savings on to the patient, insurance carriers and employers.
Vicki Edelman, R.N., C.A.S.C., is the administrator of Blue Bell Surgery Center, and has been with the center since its construction. A nurse for 32 years, Edelman began her career in medical surgical nursing and high-risk obstetrics. She credits the center’s growing success to the energy, resourcefulness and dedication of her team.
“My job would not be possible without the tireless efforts of our physicians and staff to maintain high standards, and their support in providing quality patient care to the community we serve,” she says. “We want patients to feel secure that their care will be provided by the same highly skilled personnel and safety standards found at larger facilities. We are dedicated to providing patients with high-quality treatment in a personalized environment and we make every effort to assure our patients’ experiences with our Center are as pleasant and convenient as possible.”
The benefits of the center—both for its medical staff and for its patients—include “efficiency, lower infection rate for outpatient centers, quiet setting and modern facilities,” says Timothy Amann, D.O., Blue Bell Surgery Centers medical director and an orthopedic surgeon specializing and fellowship trained in sports medicine.
“Being outside a hospital is can be easier and allow for more personalized care,” he says. “Our center is special because of the personnel and partners. We all started this project together and have worked together for years and will continue to provide exceptional care with our new partner Phoenixville Hospital.
Steve Tullman, CEO of Phoenixville Hospital, is thrilled with the Center and what it brings to the community. “Phoenixville Hospital is excited to partner with an outstanding group of surgeons who provide exceptional outpatient surgical care to their patients,” he says. “We look forward to working with the dedicated surgeons and staff to grow Blue Bell Surgery Center and expand services for the community.”
As Phoenixville Hospital continues to adapt to meet the area’s health care needs, the relationship with Blue Bell Surgery Center expands the hospital’s footprint in Montgomery and Chester counties. In recent years, Phoenixville Hospital has dedicated more than $100 million to expansion and renovation projects at the hospital, including a new patient tower with state-of-the-art equipment and all private rooms. This growth has enabled patients to benefit from greater access to the world-class providers and ancillary service offerings of Phoenixville Hospital.
In addition to its main hospital location in Phoenixville, other Phoenixville Hospital facilities include Outpatient and Surgery Center in Limerick; Surgery Center of the Main Line in Wayne; and Priority Care Urgent Care Center in Wayne.
The Blue Bell Surgery Center is located at 518 East Township Line Road, Suite 120, Blue Bell. For more information, please call 610-862-9550 or visit www.bluebellsurgerycenter.com.
Sidebar: World-Class Team
The Blue Bell Surgery Center surgical team includes:
Timothy Amann, D.O., Sports Medicine
Marta T. Becker, M.D., Otolaryngology
Alan S. Berger, M.D., Otolaryngology
Steven R. Chesnick, M.D., F.A.C.S., Otolaryngology
Francis J. Clark, M.D., Ophthalmology, LASIK
John J. Flanagan Jr., M.D., Vascular and General Surgery
A. Gerald Frost, M.D., F.A.S.C.R.S., Colon, Rectal and General Surgery
William J. Henry, M.D., Otolaryngology
Brett R. Horwitz, M.D., Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine
Staci Levick, D.O., Otolaryngology
Richard J. Mandel, M.D., Orthopaedics
Dennis P. McHugh, D.O., Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine
Alan M. Miller, M.D., F.A.C.S., Otolaryngology
Todd C. Morehouse, D.O., Otolaryngology
John J. Nevulis, M.D., Orthopaedics
Harry S. Polsky, M.D., F.A.C.S., General, Vascular, and Thoracic Surgery
Samuel M. Puleo, M.D., Orthopaedics
Mark Pyfer, M.D., Ophthalmology, Refractive and Cataract Surgery
Joseph A. Rabson, M.D., Plastic Surgery
Steve Valentino, D.O., Orthopaedics, Spine Surgery and Pain Management
Bruce Weiner, M.D., F.A.C.S., Breast Surgery
Warren H. Zager, M.D., Otolaryngology
