ABSTRACT
Creating a New Ambulatory Surgical Experience It was clear by early 2007 that Virginia Mason would soon face a shortage of operating rooms. e medical center was running at full capacity in its main ORs and there was a need for additional capacity, not only for existing surgeons with growing practices, but also for a number of new surgeons coming on board. Facility limitations created a less than ideal experience for patients who were required to travel long distances and were corralled in ward-style surgery prep and recovery areas. ey waited for surgeries to start, experienced a number of providers coming to do their “part” of the process, and then recovered in spaces that were not designed to address the emotional and practical needs of the patients and their families. Like many health care processes, it was a patchwork of disconnected pieces quilted together over a number of years and shoehorned
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into the existing physical space. Virginia Mason had no intention or desire to replicate this traditional model. It was only through the dedication of the sta and providers that patients experienced such great outcomes.
