By Shawn Mawhiney
Hartford HealthCare unveiled its all-new $150-million Bone & Joint Institute at Hartford Hospital Nov. 15, culminating years of planning and construction. The facility is New England’s only orthopedic specialty hospital, and will offer an immense range of surgical procedures, new technologies and amenities in one location.
Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony — with its theme, “The Innovation of Motion” — highlighted the future of orthopedic care, which officially begins when the Hartford HealthCare Bone & Joint Institute at Hartford Hospital opens in January.
The institute was designed with patients’ diverse needs in mind — from those who need emergency or complex orthopedic surgeries that can’t be performed elsewhere, to Baby Boomers seeking quality of life, seasoned athletes looking for an added advantage and weekend warriors wanting relief from nagging injuries. It coordinates all aspects of musculoskeletal care, from prevention to surgery, recovery and beyond.
Two Parts That Work Together
The facility, with orthopedic design themes inside and out, has two distinct parts. The 130,000-square-foot hospital features an inpatient building with 48 private inpatients rooms, with capacity to expand to 60; eight operating rooms; outpatient rehabilitation and wellness areas; easy access to diagnostic and other services.
Connected via a skywalk is a 75,000-square-foot outpatient surgery center and medical facility with three outpatient surgery rooms; offices for orthopedics, rheumatology and musculoskeletal specialty care; and an auditorium for conferences that can double as a classroom with live surgical procedures and learning opportunities for staff.
The center has been designed to include unique spaces for physical rehabilitation, training and education; a motion lab, a healthy eating demonstration kitchen and meeting space to accommodate a wide range of support groups and community education offerings aimed at helping keep people healthy before, during and after surgery.
“The Bone and Joint Institute is a game-changer for patients, for Hartford and for our state,” said Jeffrey Flaks, Hartford HealthCare’s president and chief operating officer. “There is nothing like it in the region, and there are only a few facilities like it anywhere in the country. It will transform care as we know it, and clearly differentiate Hartford HealthCare as the destination for orthopedic care in New England — and, we believe, beyond.”
Technology As A Tool In Healing
In addition to providing traditional, emergency and complex surgeries, the institute will offer osteoporosis screenings, a fracture prevention clinic, healthy cooking demonstrations, and integrative medicine services such as reiki and massage, which help decrease anxiety, reduce pain and accelerate healing.
The center boasts highly specialized equipment rarely found in one facility, aimed at detecting issues, preventing injuries and speeding successful recovery:
- A zero-gravity treadmill will allow patients to begin rehab sooner, even when they cannot bear weight on joints.
- A sophisticated motion analysis lab will allow specialists to detect even the smallest of irregularities with movement, preventing problems from worsening. The lab also uses computer-guided analytics to provide balance assessment; and, for athletes, analyses of golf swings, running gait and efficiency, basketball jumping ability or baseball pitching mechanics
The center has been designed to enable patients to feel like guests, and to provide individualized, coordinated care. From the start, an assessment center will determine the right treatment path for each patient. Every step of that path has been carefully considered, from easy valet parking and world-class rehabilitation facilities to wellness education — even a car transfer simulator that helps patients feel confident that they can get around after they get home.
From its architecturally stunning building and experienced doctors to patient-friendly rooms and meals on demand, the Bone & Joint Institute integrates all elements of orthopedics and musculoskeletal treatment in one location, including specialty care, diagnostics, rehabilitation, sports medicine, rheumatology, health and wellness and pain management.
“This milestone isn’t just a matter of opening an extraordinary facility; it is also another important step that we are taking to provide patients with a new and improved model of clinical care,” said Dr. Stuart Markowitz, Hartford Hospital President. “By bringing together all aspects of musculoskeletal care under one roof, we are offering a model of care that is more fully integrated and seamless throughout the patient’s experience.”
Advancing Health And The Economy
The Institute was constructed on vacant land on Seymour Street and connects directly to Hartford Hospital’s main building.
This institute is the first specialty hospital to be built in Connecticut in decades, and a major project for downtown Hartford. Hartford HealthCare is joining the ranks of a handful of health organizations across the United States that have created a completely integrated musculoskeletal hospital, fully staffed with the necessary sub-specialists to provide comprehensive care.
The new facility is a prime example of how healthcare can be boon to the local economy, and will enhance Hartford HealthCare’s ability to recruit top physicians and clinicians to the state, enhancing the healthcare reputation of both Hartford and Connecticut.
“We are proud to be a major contributor to the economic growth of the city of Hartford and the state of Connecticut,” said Elliot Joseph, Hartford HealthCare’s chief executive officer. “We are creating jobs and bringing people to Connecticut for their healthcare through this investment. The solution to our state’s economic challenge must include job growth. Many other parts of our country have recognized the strength and growth of the broadly defined healthcare sector to achieve economic vitality.”
Hartford Hospital is partnering with Orthopedic Associates of Hartford to oversee the Institute. Orthopedic Associates, with 30 fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons, is the largest orthopedic group in the region.
The Future Of Orthopedics
“The Bone and Joint Institute ushers in a new era of healthcare,” said Dr. Courtland Lewis, who will serve as physician-in-chief of the institute. “Not only does it enable us to provide the most comprehensive medical and surgical care, but the institute also represents the future of the field itself. It is more than just a grand space. It is people. It is expertise. It is staff coming together to provide that expertise for the good of our patients. It is innovation. The Institute is everything that we envision great healthcare to be — it is improving access to high quality care, while reducing costs and keeping patients healthy.”
Built with a musculoskeletal theme inside and out, the institute was designed in collaboration between Perkins+Will of New York City and HDR Architecture of Princeton and New York City. Perkins+Will was responsible for the design of the building exteriors and HDR was responsible for the design of the interiors and clinical and medical spaces. The two firms designed the lobby in unison. The contractor for the inpatient building was Gilbane Building Company of Glastonbury, and the contractor for the ambulatory and medical space was FIP Construction of Farmington.
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