St. Cloud Surgical Center has always been at the forefront of patient care solutions. After nearly 50 years of serving the St. Cloud community, the multispecialty center has seen a recent surge in outpatient care, particularly among orthopedic patients.

“We have seen an exponential increase over the past two years,” said Darci Nagorski, CEO. “The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved outpatient total knee replacements for the first time in 2020—and then total hip replacements in 2021—which have been huge contributors to our growth.” The ASC saw total joint surgeries rise from about 400 in 2019 to 590 in 2020— and Nagorski estimates that the number of outpatient surgeries will continue rising to about 850 this year.

This rapid growth meant that St. Cloud’s orthopedic surgeons needed better outpatient care solutions. Nagorski knew her ASC would need to expand quickly to meet the needs of the community, so she turned to Stryker.

“They listened to our unique needs,” Nagorski said. With a growing number of Medicare patients requiring high-expense implants, she worked closely with Stryker to reduce costs. The medical technology company’s vast product portfolio helped equip St. Cloud with implants and operating room equipment that allows them to serve an influx of patients, many of whom have lower reimbursement rates from Medicare. “They made it financially feasible Advertorial for us to continue offering total joint surgeries in an outpatient setting.”

The collaboration with Stryker went beyond affordable, innovative products. “We felt like we had a true partner, rather than just a vendor,” said Nagorski. “Our surgeons were impressed by Stryker’s responsiveness and professionalism as they became familiar with the joint implants for hips and knees.” It is this personalized experience and expertise that has helped the ASC expand efficiently, with the expansion set to be completed this summer. Already, the ASC is improving the outpatient experience for the St. Cloud community.

“The expansion is an opportunity to normalize outpatient solutions,” said Nagorski. She noted that patients have become more comfortable in outpatient settings over the past several years, as CMS has approved different operations for ASCs. “There will always be a place for in-patient surgeries, but for many patients, ASCs offer a safe, lower-cost alternative. With proper patient selection and education, we have found that patients do better when they recover at home— which is everyone’s goal.”

St. Cloud Surgical Center continues to support patients with Stryker by its side.

“I’m excited about the future of our ASC and others across the country,” said Nagorski. “We can offer more patient comfort, fewer surgical infections and better outcomes in the St. Cloud community and beyond.”

Whether you are expanding your ASC like St. Cloud or building from scratch, Stryker has everything you need to make each move with confidence. Contact Stryker’s ASC business for a world-class portfolio of products and ASC specialists who can offer tailored solutions to your unique challenges.