ST. GEORGE – As of the first of this year all surgery at Dixie Regional Medical Center has been (and will continue to be) done in the River Road hospital or the adjacent Dixie Regional Health & Performance Center.

Since the opening of the Health & Performance Center in 2009, only a small volume of women’s procedures were being performed on the 400 East Campus twice per week. Even with those limited volumes the campus had to be fully staffed for surgery and stocked with the necessary supplies, instrumentation and equipment.

“Spreading resources across three locations was costly and inefficient,” Brent Hardy said; Hardy is the hospital’s surgical services director. “Closing the 400 East Campus utilizes resources more appropriately.”

To accommodate added volumes, two new operating suites were added to the Health & Performance Center in 2012, bringing that building’s total operating room complement up to six. This expansion has also relieved some of the load at the River Road hospital.

“As the hospital works to advance to a level II trauma center, we needed to free up some operating room space for trauma patients, emergency add-ons, and new providers coming to our community,” Hardy said. “By shifting more surgeries to the Health & Performance Center, we will be able to keep one to two operating rooms at River Road open for emergencies all the time.”

The physicians and surgeons affected have been understanding and supportive of the change. “They understand the need,” Hardy said, “and we appreciate their assistance.”

Submitted by Intermountain Heathcare Southwest Region at Dixie Regional Medical Center

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