St. Vincent’s One Nineteen grateful for new outpatient options

Written By John L. Roberson

Photograph Contributed

When you live in central Alabama, it’s easy to be thankful each November. Birmingham’s fall must be one of the most beautiful in the region. However, area physicians have new reasons to be grateful this month, as St. Vincent’s One Nineteen offers new options enabling many of us to better serve our patients.

Although Birmingham Podiatry has served area patients since 1932, our practice has only recently expanded to its fourth office – this one at St. Vincent’s One Nineteen. And I’m especially glad to be seeing area patients there. Our new office provides us an easily-accessed site for area residents seeking help for athletic injuries, diabetes-related concerns, congenital or infectious foot problems and other podiatry issues.

Although we are able to treat most of our patients with nonsurgical measures, I will also be joining the long list of specialists offering surgical services within St. Vincent’s One Nineteen’s new Outpatient Surgery Center, opening later this year.

From a physician’s standpoint, an outpatient center is an ideal site to perform surgeries that don’t require an overnight stay in a hospital setting. Since ambulatory surgical patients are not exposed to the infectious diseases treated within inpatient facilities, we can reduce their infection chances while still accessing the latest instrumentation.

We also find that some patients are more likely to seek the help they need when it’s offered close to home. Some of my patients have such busy schedules that they have postponed scheduling reconstructive foot surgery for bunions or hammertoes, plantar fasciitis or soft tissue masses. Now that St. Vincent’s One Nineteen is offering its outpatient surgical option, those patients are ready to address their chronic foot pain. For the first time in years, many of them will be able to exercise and pursue a truly active lifestyle.

We expect to see other patients from this area referred to us from St. Vincent’s One Nineteen new Urgent Care facility. Those diagnosed there with a foot fracture, perhaps from a weekend injury, can have their surgery done on an outpatient basis in the same facility without duplicating scans.

My patients appreciate One Nineteen’s efficient, yet relaxed atmosphere. Easy onsite access to parking, physician offices, diagnostics, surgery and physical therapy is a key consideration for anyone experiencing difficulty walking.

We are thankful to serve area residents at St. Vincent’s One Nineteen.

To learn more about St. Vincent’s One Nineteen’s “Healthcare Like No Other” services, including its Outpatient Surgery Center opening later this year, visit onenineteen.com.

John L. Roberson, DPM, is a podiatrist at St. Vincent’s One Nineteen.