The latest addition to Deaconess Health System’s Gateway campus puts quality orthopedic care under one roof. Through a partnership with Orthopaedic Associates, the Deaconess Orthopedic Surgery Center will see its first patients Nov. 17.
Physicians “wanted a state-of-the-art facility that served outpatients and provided the highest level of patient satisfaction,” Deaconess Health CEO Sean McCoy said Nov. 5 at the center’s formal dedication. “I’ve got marks in my back from where I got pushed that we needed to do this. They kept saying, ‘We need to do better for our patients.’ And that’s why this is here.”
Deaconess officials said the new building isn’t just for operations — it’s designed to enhance the patient experience by providing access to specialists, advanced treatment options, and coordinated care. It will support orthopedic procedures such as joint replacement, sports medicine, spine, hand, foot and ankle, and other musculoskeletal surgeries.
“From the modern operating rooms to the waiting room here, it’s been all about what that patient experience is going to be, and how do we make it excellent care,” said Brad Scheu, Deaconess Indiana Region President. “From the time they show up for the pre-op evaluation, to the surgery, to all the care that’s going to happen afterward in the rehabilitation, all of it can happen right here in this facility.”
Anthony Czaplicki with Orthopaedic Associates, one of the physicians McCoy credits with envisioning the surgery center, said in a statement released by Deaconess that the goal is to give patients “a welcoming and efficient experience from start to finish, whether someone is recovering from an injury, managing chronic joint pain or seeking specialized sports medicine care.”
Although the Deaconess Gateway campus technically is in Newburgh, Evansville Mayor Stephanie Terry joined the formal dedication ceremonies. She said when her sons were playing football, “Orthopaedic Associates provided the best care that we needed,” and the new surgery center at 4231 Gateway Blvd. will make such services more readily available.
“Expanding access to orthopedic care means giving people in our community access to the services that they need when they need them,” Terry said.
