New medical building is ‘more patient-friendly’

The Center for Hip & Knee Surgery has moved into the newly opened medical office building on the north side of the hospital. The two-story building was built in front of the Center’s old office, which is scheduled to be demolished in July to make room for additional parking and landscaping.

The facility also houses the Joint Replacement Surgeons of Indiana Research Foundation, an expanded St. Francis physical therapy department, Rheumatology Center of Mooresville, and the pre-operative internal medicine evaluation, or IMPACT, center.

“For the past 20 years we have been committed to providing the highest quality of care to our patients and their families,” said John Meding, M.D., orthopaedic surgeon. “Our new medical office will enable us to continue this tradition of care in a more patient-friendly atmosphere that is more convenient for our patients.”

The Center for Hip & Knee Surgery is again ranked No. 1 in Indiana for joint replacement surgery, according to HealthGrades, one of the nation’s premier health care ratings companies. The Center also is ranked among the top 5 percent in the nation for joint replacement and is rated 5-stars for total knee and hip replacements for the eighth consecutive year.

Expanded Mooresville campus opens today

Following a community open house Saturday, St. Francis Hospital – Mooresville opens its $42 million expansion today. The expanded facilities include new and modern inpatient units and high-tech surgery suites, as well as many amenities to enhance patient and visitor comfort and promote healing.

The new orthopaedic and adult inpatient nursing units offer private patient rooms, modern conveniences and the latest technology for patients and the medical team. Each inpatient room is equipped with two flat-screen televisions,
a sofa that converts to a bed for an overnight guest, a desk and wireless Internet connectivity.

Visitors may take breaks in the new coffee bar and gift shop, conveniently located in the hospital’s new three-story main gallery.

Physicians and medical staff have access to wireless communication technology and bedside charting for improved caregiver communication and efficiency. Patient care stations are located outside patient rooms in addition to the centralized nursing station, enabling physicians and nurses to perform their responsibilities closer to the patient.

Six new surgery suites offer the latest in surgical technology, including a high-tech video and photography system in every operating room. Each operating room is equipped with laminar airflow and ultraviolet light technology for sterilization, which is critical in preventing infection.

While technology is important, we know that creating a healing environment is crucial to recovery. Careful consideration was given to the views from patient rooms, and two large rooftop gardens will be visible from many of the rooms to help promote healing.

Mooresville Reporter Times: ER comes to northern Morgan County

Morgan County Reporter-Times Mooresville editor Amy Hillenburg wrote in Sunday's paper about the coming expansion of the St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville campus. Much of the expanded hospital will open in April 2008, with the emergency room services opening later in the year.

The new emergency room will feature more than a dozen exam rooms and will be staffed by the physicians of Emergency Physicians of Indianapolis.

Other features of the expanded hospital discussed in Hillenburg's article include:

• an eight-room Intensive Care Unit (ICU).


• a 27-bed surgical unit.


• a 30-bed orthopaedic unit.


• six new operating room suites (pictured at right). (Above right is the preop area. The day of surgery the patient is first taken to this area and prepared for surgery.)


• rooftop gardens.


• a renovated cafeteria.


• a new gift shop and coffee stand.