team of clinicians including Ashley Godfrey , CRNP , and Nurse Navigator Jimbo Stewart , RN . Together they help guide patients through every aspect of their physician-directed treatment plan , which can be complicated and require multiple appointments before and after surgery . Making this process more convenient and efficient for the patient is the goal .
“ We ’ re simplifying the process ,” said Stewart . “ That ’ s huge for someone experiencing pain — no more calling doctors , going to multiple-day appointments , and figuring out if we have all their information . We connect with the other doctors , schedule all the presurgery tests in one day , and then the patient is done until the day of their surgery .”
Stewart also stays in touch with the patients for 90 days following surgery to help them stay on track with their post-surgery care plan .
While detailed attention is given to helping patients through their surgical journey , advancing the level of surgical care is also part of the Center of Excellence standards . Each of the seven participating physicians has committed to evidence-based established protocols , practicing multi-modal pain management and periodic reviews to keep sharp focus on standards of care .
“ We ’ re implementing industry best practices in a universal way so all our providers are striving to deliver exceptional care .” said Godfrey .
As an example , the Center of Excellence orthopedic surgeons use Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery to offer more precise and minimally invasive joint replacement surgery , which can mean less pain , less risk of infection and a faster recovery for patients .
Phillip Kravetz , MD , a highly specialized spine surgeon at the Center of Excellence also uses advanced techniques to minimize the impact of surgery on patients .
We make people feel special , and not like they ’ re just a number or just a surgery .
“ As a minimally invasive spine surgeon , it means I ’ m doing the least amount of trauma to accomplish the goals of surgery ,” said Dr . Kravetz .
Center of Excellence Orthopedic Surgeons : ( L to R ) Ben Gomez , MD ; Stephen Gould , MD ; Vincent Bergquist , MD ; Steven Fuller , DO ; David Dueland , MD ; Connor Ojard , MD
Dr . Phillip Kravetz is a minimally invasive spine surgeon at the Center of Excellence .
CULLMAN COUNTY SENIOR MAGAZINE SPRING 2022 | 15