Up until recently, patients who arrived at the emergency room at Chandler Regional Medical Center with neurologically related health issues were typically evaluated and then transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, so that they could be treated by physicians at Barrow Neurological Institute.
Now, thanks to the hospital credentialing the physicians at Barrow Neurosurgical Associates, who work out of Barrow’s renown center in Phoenix, most patients who require neurosurgery can get all of the care they need right at the Chandler hospital.
According to Patty White, president and chief executive officer of Chandler Regional, this new service, which went into effect last September, is part of the hospital’s goal of not only expanding its physical building capacity, but of growing its list of programs and available treatments that can benefit the many families who come there for treatment.
“Being members of Dignity Health, it seemed like a logical extension to have the world-class services that Barrow offers at St. Joe’s expand over to the east valley,” she said.
Taro Kaibara, M.D., a neurosurgeon at Barrow Neurosurgical Associates and director of neurosurgery at Chandler Regional Medical Center, said the team of physicians from Barrow Neurosurgical Associates, who are on call 24 hours a day, can work within the emergency department, radiology, all units of the ICU, and the medical and surgical floors.
“We can offer a broad scope of treatments to patients,” he said, adding that the neurologists can treat anything from head trauma cases and brain tumors to both simple and complex spinal procedures, and much more.
“Some of the more complex cases like aneurysms we will still treat up at St. Joe’s, but in most cases patients do not have to be transported there. Almost everything can be done locally at theChandlerhospital, which is hopefully just a few miles from the patient’s home.”
White said she was thoroughly impressed by her staff at Chandler Regional who banded together quickly and efficiently to make the new neurosurgical services a reality. She is equally amazed by the dedication of the Barrow neurosurgeons who can now work there.
“After asking ‘would you like to offer neurosurgery?’ everyone on my staff pulled together and got a plan in place that covered everything from education and equipment and patient areas. They just nailed the plan.”
Kaibara, who said he has already treated many patients at Chandler Regional who presented with neurological issues, said he is “very excited” to be part of the team.
“It is an outstanding hospital, and we are all very pleased about the quality of health care and everyone on staff, from the nurses and physicians right up to the CEO. They are all great to work with.”
