Comfort First: New Lawrence Hospital Program Rivaling Big City Care

For most people, New York City represents the best in almost all things: the best restaurants, best museums, best shopping...

When it comes to medical care, however, and more specifically orthopedic surgery, the same might no longer hold true – just ask Mary Anne Rittenhouse of Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville.

Rittenhouse – who first starting working in the hospital’s operating rooms nine years ago – was recently named the coordinator of Lawrence ‘s new Spine & Total Joint Program, and along with Director of the Joint Replacement Center Maureen Kirk, has been given the task of reshaping the hospital’s approach to orthopedic care and surgery.

At the heart of that new approach is a genuine dedication to patient education, along with a commitment to providing all the support, comfort and guidance an individual possibly facing major orthopedic surgery could ever need. Rittenhouse and her department aren’t only involved in cases that involve surgery, however, as a large emphasis of the new look program has been placed on pre-operation and even pre-hospitalization education and injury-prevention strategies.

“It’s not all about surgery,” Kirk said. “That’s the last resort. We go out into the communities, to the senior centers and to various industries and educate people about how to keep their joints healthy, how to get back on the road. If all methodologies fail, and they have to resort to surgery, then we’re ready to educate them to the next step.”

At that point, Rittenhouse, who likens her new position to that of a “navigator,” is responsible for the patients in her department knowing everything about their individual case, from treatment options to pre- and post-operative procedures, and everything else in between. Before the time patients needing orthopedic surgery leave Lawrence Hospital, they will have received the services of a comprehensive “comfort team,” including an occupational therapist, dietician, physical therapist, Case Manager and a primary care giver, who will coach them on how to make their homes safer upon their discharge from the hospital. Kirk described the comfort team as part of the Spine & Total Joint Program as “a multidisciplinary approach to pain management,” whose top priority is minimizing post-operation pain utilizing state-of-the-art technology.

Each morning that they spend at the hospital, patients will also be briefed on exactly what they will be doing and what treatment they will receive that day, down to the very hour. Perhaps most importantly, patients will almost always be just a phone call away from Rittenhouse, who will oversee every step of their recovery process and meet with them before surgery, in the recovery room, and post operation all the way to rehab.

“Now they have familiar faces, and they have other people they can talk to besides their doctor,” said Rittenhouse, who has also worked for Lawrence’s home care department in the past. “It’s very reassuring for patients, and it makes for a significantly better outcome. It’s really that education is power for them." 

Despite having only worked a few weeks in her new position, Rittenhouse says she has been astonished by how quickly the program has gotten off its feet, and how big of an impact it has made on out-patient recovery.

“It’s really been rewarding to be able to help these people,” said Rittenhouse. “It’s just knowing that there’s a person that really does care. Hospitals have the reputation of being cold and sterile environments, and it’s that’s just really not the case, especially not here.”

Kirk, who has been involved in the creation of similar programs in two other area hospitals, applauded the Lawrence Hospital administration’s vision for a more modern and patient-oriented department and orthopedic philosophy.

“They had a similar program in place before I got here three years ago, it just needed to be reenergized,” Kirk said. “They [Lawrence Hospital administration] believed that education was the key to a successful program, which was very keen of them. When the patients are very knowledgeable about what to expect, the program is going to be successful, the patient is going to recover and we’re going to have positive outcomes. When the patient is not engaged in the process, then you’re going to have bumps along the way.”

Once patients “graduate” from the Spine & Total Joint Program, they are immediately taken charge of by Lawrence Hospital’s Home Care department, which will take over in making sure their recoveries are as speedy and complication-free as possible. After patients have fully recovered, the hospital will reach out to them six months following their operation and once more after one year.

Judging by the early success of Lawrence’s newest program and the positive outcomes Rittenhouse’s position has produced, Kirk is confident that these changes just might be enough to convince local residents that the best medical care available for them is right in there backyard.

“People always think, ‘If I have this, or if I have that, and I need surgery, I have to fly to the city, because that’s the only place you can have surgery at its best,’” Kirk said. “Wrong. Right here in Bronxville is this lovely place with a group of surgeon that perform surgery with state of the art technology. We’re doing everything that they are in the city. We’re focused on educating our patients, and letting people know that we have a program that’s very successful.”

For more information on Lawrence Hospital’s new Spine & Total Joint Program visit the Lawrence Hospital website or contact Mary Anne Rittenhouse at MRittenhouse@lawrencehealth.org or 914.729.4230.