Griffin Hospital to expand operating room capacity
PHOTO | Contributed
Interim Director of the Griffin Hospital Development Fund Janet Hall receives a $5,000 grant from PerkinElmer Sr. Director Customer Experience Michael P. DiVito to support the expansion of Griffin's surgical services.
Griffin Hospital is expanding its operating room space, which will include an area specifically designated for robotic surgery.
Christian Meagher, communications specialist for the Derby hospital, said the work is part of a multi-phase expansion project aimed at enhancing the hospital’s surgical capabilities and capacity.
The hospital will increase the number of its operating rooms from six to seven and build an operating room specifically designed for its da Vinci Xi Surgical System, which performs robotic surgeries.
According to Meagher, Griffin is in the middle of a $1.6 million campaign to support the project, with about $700,000 collected to date.
The expansion is garnering support from the community. This month, PerkinElmer in Shelton awarded a $5,000 grant to the hospital for use toward the surgical expansion.
Griffin Hospital Chairman of Surgery Richard Salzano, MD said in an announcement he is grateful for the project’s support.
According to Salzano, this expansion will provide patients with “minimally-invasive robot assisted procedures for an exceptional surgical experience with faster recovery times and better outcomes.”
Hospital officials said they do not have a specific timeline yet for the project.
Griffin has experienced growth in the number of outpatient surgeries it performs. Hospital officials attribute this to the addition of surgeons across various specialties and more people choosing Griffin for care.
Griffin started its Robotic Assisted Surgery Program in 2018 and invested in the da Vinci Xi surgical robot. Robotic surgery is considered to be less invasive, with smaller incisions, less pain and blood loss, faster recovery and better outcomes. It provides magnification and allows surgeons to operate with greater precision.
While the hospital has been able to use the robot in its current space, the operating rooms were built in the late 1960s and aren’t large enough, according to Meagher.
Without a dedicated space for the robot, the hospital’s staff has had to move it and associated equipment into temporary storage when not in use. Hospital officials want a dedicated operating room specifically designed for the robot, which will be able to stay in the designated room.
Also, the additional operating space will increase the hospital’s capacity, resulting in reduced waiting times for patients who need surgeries. It also means the hospital will be able to perform more surgeries, which officials expect will increase revenue.
This latest project is part of ongoing improvements to the facility. In 2017, Griffin built a new $4 million ambulatory surgery suite which included more pre-operative and post-operative recovery rooms.
Contact Michelle Tuccitto Sullo at msullo@newhavenbiz.com
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