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Health magnet: New Albany Surgical Hospital

Premium content from Business First - by Andrea Tortora , For Business First

Mount Carmel’s New Albany Surgical Hospital is a “focus factory.” That means it is specialized in a few procedures: shoulder, hip and knee reconstructions, and some spine and sports medicine work.

Many studies show the more often surgeons perform the same operation with the same team, the better the results.

Dr. Adolph Lombardi said the practice is a busy one, with doctors also involved in implant design and development.

He said the lead doctors perform 1,000 joint procedures a year, with younger doctors doing between 500 and 600.

“As a surgeon, you are only as good as those who are around you,” Lombardi said. “The team here ... all they do every day is hip and knee replacements. That creates a familiarity that speaks light years. Surgical time is key.”

And because New Albany Surgical Hospital is so specialized, it has a large inventory of parts and supplies, which helps avoid delays.

All patients with insurance are served at the hospital, and Operation Joint Implant offers free care to the working poor, Lombardi said. Each quarter patients referred by other sources are offered care under the program and often they can be enrolled in Medicaid.

Patients and other physicians and surgeons wanting to learn come from Spain, Korea, Japan, India and many states.

The surgical hospital offers teaching opportunities and a cadaver lab where visiting surgeons can get hands-on instruction. They account for more than 500 visits each year.