In a move that Inspira Health officials feel will significantly increase the system’s capacity to provide outpatient gastrointestinal procedures, Inspira Health opened a new outpatient endoscopy center in the Medical Office Building on its Vineland campus.
With the new center open, most patients requiring an outpatient upper endoscopy or colonoscopy will experience the convenience and efficiency of a true outpatient experience. Prior to its opening, these studies and treatments were performed in the hospital’s endoscopy suite.
Growing need for endoscopy services
It is estimated that more than 6.1 million upper endoscopies will be performed in the U.S. this year. The procedure is used specifically to look at the esophagus, the stomach and the first part of the small intestine (called the duodenum). More than 15 million colonoscopies are performed annually in U.S.
This procedure not only detects colon cancer, but also can find and remove polyps, eliminating the possibility that they might progress and become cancerous.
It is estimated that demand for these services in the U.S. grows by one to two percent each year.
By moving these procedures outside of the hospital building, scheduling, parking and wayfinding are simplified. Additionally, the physicians and staff working in the outpatient endoscopy center will not have to have work around the scheduled and emergency needs of hospitalized patients. This means there are more available time slots and no delays resulting from a hospitalized patient needing an emergency procedure in the endoscopy suite.
Inspira officials said they expect the facility to perform more than 2,100 procedures in its first 12 months of operation.
“This new outpatient endoscopy center aligns with our focus on providing care that not only meets the needs of our community, but also their preferences for where and how their receive care,” Elizabeth Sheridan, regional chief administrative officer for Inspira’s Vineland, Elmer and Bridgeton campuses, said.
“We understand that convenience and efficiency are critically important to our patients. That’s why our team is committed to making the entire process as smooth as possible.”
