Successful surgery at BCH
Photo by SHANNON RUST, RN, Surgery Manager The Surgery Team, prepped and ready (from left): Renee Isaacs, Scrub Tech; Diana Kempton, RN; Dustin Miller, RN; and Stu Gall, CRNA.
It has been a multiyear process to get the Boundary Community Hospital Surgery Department ready to perform more complicated surgeries. Since the upgrade and expansion of the Surgery Suite was completed in June 2018, Michael DiBenedetto, MD has successfully completed two total hip replacement surgeries, as well as several knee and hand surgeries.
Upgrading the air handling and infection prevention system to ensure more precise temperature and humidity control to meet government code compliance standards, a C-Arm Portable X-Ray Machine for orthopedic surgeries, as well as new endoscopy scopes have expanded the services, efficiency and patient-safety of the surgery department.
“The first year funding from the levy passed by voters in 2016 was used to purchase laboratory equipment, new endoscopy scopes and the upgrade and enhancement of the Outpatient Surgery Suite at the Hospital,” says Craig Johnson, CEO. “Our increased capability to perform these types of procedures should expand the availability in Bonners Ferry.”
“I feel our surgery team consists of some pretty amazing professionals who make patient safety and satisfaction their top priority,” according to Shannon Rust, RN, Surgery Manager. “With the recent upgrade of our HVAC system, we, in conjunction with Dr. Michael DiBenedetto, were able to start performing joint replacement surgeries. We now have two successful hip replacements under our belt and are very excited to continue to make these procedures available to the community. I am truly humbled and thankful to have been a part of such a wonderful endeavor for Boundary Community Hospital!”