What Hospital could bring the major LAP-BAND surgeons together in Phoenix? The Surgical Specialty Hospital of Arizona (SSHAZ).

Why? Because Surgical Specialty Hospital of Arizona is unique. It is the first specialty hospital licensed in Arizona and is owned solely by physicians – physicians who put patients first.

Surgical Specialty Hospital of Arizona was born when a group of neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons bought the facility in May, 2005. They spent millions of dollars modernizing the facility, even hiring an executive chef to prepare meals for their patients. Today there are fifteen physician owners, including our three LAP-BAND surgeons, and over 200 physicians on staff. Our physicians are dedicated to ensuring that patients receive the best surgical care possible.

What does this mean to you? It means modern equipped laparoscopic suites with high definition, flat screen monitors. This means safer surgery. When SSHAZ first asked Dr. Terry Simpson to consider the hospital for weight loss surgery patients, they asked him what the equipment needs were. When stating he needed the best optics for surgery, they asked why — “Patient safety”, he said. “The better a surgeon sees, the less likely there will be problems.”  While multiple other hospitals in the valley had asked Dr. Simpson the same question, that was all the physicians who owned Surgical Specialty Hospital needed. The equipment was ordered and in place within two weeks.

It also means a nursing staff that is second to none. Remember when hospitals had a lot of nurses on the floor and if you needed something they would respond quickly? With a four to one patient to nurse ratio, that is how Surgical Specialty Hospital of Arizona operates. Call lights are answered promptly if they are needed at all, because our nursing staff prides themselves on anticipating the needs of their patients and families. And our nurses are all ACLS - Advanced Life Support – certified nurses.

While some patients leave the hospital the day of surgery, isn’t it nice to know that if you need to spend the night you can if you want to? Isn’t it nice to know that you are in a modern hospital prepared to handle laparoscopic banded patients, with the equipment, and a staff that is dedicated to your needs?

Support groups, new patient seminars, and nutrition classes are held on the second floor classroom at the hospital. We are one of the few hospitals in the nation with a certified bariatric nurse specialist.

The hospital is the first in the state of Arizona to have a 6 bed certified Multi-Organized Service Unit (MOSU), a clinical care unit that allows us to take care of all levels of patient acuity, including ICU patients. We have 27 med-surg beds and a family member can stay overnight in the room if desired. We also have a modern diagnostic imaging center including state-of-the-art MRI and CT scanner.

The hospital participates in research on various topics, including the laparoscopic adjustable band (LAP-BAND). The hospital has a spine fellowship program and a new Laparoscopic fellowship program.

After Dr. Simpson decided to join Surgical Specialty Hospital, his next call was to Dr. DeBarros and Dr. Orris. Sitting down the three of them determined the safest course for any patient was in a hospital, not an outpatient surgery center. When Dr. Simpson showed Dr. DeBarros and Dr. Orris Surgical Specialty Hospital, they found what they had been looking for, a facility that cared about their patients.

Yes, only one facility could be fortunate enough to bring these three leading LAP-BAND surgeons of Arizona together, Surgical Specialty Hospital of Arizona.