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Surgical Services at North Valley Hospital By Allison Linville
Surgical Services at North Valley Hospital (NVH) is one of the hospital facility’s flagship services, as a leader in advanced robotic surgery in Montana. In calendar year 2018, the hospital performed 2,498 surgical procedures, which included 906 orthopedic procedures. In addition to orthopedic procedures such as joint replacement, knee, hip, hand and shoulder surgeries, ACL reconstruction, and fracture care, the surgical services unit also performs procedures in the specialties of general surgery, ENT, urology, gynecology, dental, and plastics. The affiliation with Kalispell Regional Healthcare has proven beneficial to patients and the surgical services team, providing education opportunities and bringing managers together to share ideas and best practices, which makes it especially helpful to be part a healthcare system. Across the system, surgical services are focused on quality, patient safety, and successful outcomes. Rob Romanelly, Director of Surgical Services at NVH says, “At North Valley Hospital, we can meet the needs of our community, and look at areas of growth in the program. This is a matter of having good surgeons and staff and advanced technology – and that’s something that I appreciate about NVH – the support is there so that we can take the steps we need to take to build an advanced program.” Romanelly also notes that patients appreciate the atmosphere of North Valley Hospital, and often elect to have surgery at the hospital for the calm environment. He says, “The facility itself – the Planetree culture, which makes you feel like you’re at home, helps patients to feel comfortable, which really assists in the healing process.”
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Surgical Services Team Shares Knowledge Statewide
Recently, two NVH surgical professionals, Jonni Pekus and Tyler Butts, Robotics Clinical Coordinator and Robotics Coordinator respectfully, led the effort to increase clinical efficiency in robotic surgeries at North Valley Hospital. Pekus and Butts worked with surgeons and the robotics staff team to streamline the set-up of procedures and room turnover, which improves the patient experience and stewardship of hospital resources. Pekus and Butts now travel throughout Montana sharing their expertise and research with other surgical teams in hospitals around the state.
Expanding the Reach of NVH Surgical Services
Last fall, Ryan Gunlikson, MD, expanded his practice to Eureka, an extension he has done before and is happy to be doing again. “We’re providing consultations, time for questions and pre- or sometimes post-operative visits,” he says. “It also allows face to face time for me with patients and also the providers in Eureka, which
is extremely valuable for comprehensive patient care coordination between the primary care provider and the surgeon.” Currently, Dr. Gunlikson is in Eureka for a half day a month, and is looking at increasing that amount of time if there is a community need. Dr. Gunlikson has been at North Valley Hospital for 20 years this August, and he is a well-known area surgeon who appreciates connecting with his patients and his staff.
Patient Care at North Valley Hospital
The surgical services team – a team of highly qualified surgeons and staff – are committed to making the patient experience at North Valley Hospital a positive one. Romanelly explains that the surgical services team has really hit a stride in the last year, investing in continued education and training, and establishing streamlined surgery logistics. “Our team is solid and able to provide even better care, as we are comfortable working together and we are able to reduce surgery times and improve patient experience. We’re proud to offer advanced surgical services here at North Valley Hospital.”