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Study: Issaquah Surgery Center given State Approval to expand Medical Services

Olympia (9/28/2006) - Certificate of Need status was granted by the Washington Department of Health to the Issaquah Surgery Center, opening the way for expansion of the only specialty medical clinic and surgery center in the Issaquah region. The certification allows Issaquah Surgery Center to meet the needs of the underserved communities of Issaquah, Sammanish, and Maple Valley.

The Issaquah Surgery Center (ISC) is the region’s first fully-equipped, interventional specialty medical facility. Located on the Overlake Hospital in Issaquah campus, the Issaquah Surgery Center is a cornerstone to the specialty healthcare services entering Issaquah, some of which already include radiology imaging, urgent care clinics, and laboratory services. The ICS is managed by Proliance Surgeons, Inc., a highly respected local professional services corporation that already manages eight regional outpatient surgery centers and many other ancillary health facilities.

The Center began operations in April 2004 and was openly embraced by the communities quickly becoming a preferred site for outpatient surgical care. However, without Certificate of Need (CN) status the state limited most specialists from using the facility and serving the communities. Issaquah Surgery Center’s initial application for CN status in 2004 was sidelined as the state contended with competing applications by Swedish and Overlake Hospitals to expand hospital services into Issaquah. in May 2005, the Department of Health found no need existed for a hospital in Issaquah. The state then turned its attention to the specialty services offered by Issaquah Surgery Center and found that it provided needed services to an underserved population.

In making its decision, the Department of Health recognized that the growth in eastern King County has far outpaced the available medical facilities that service this region. The department concluded that the Issaquah Surgery Center was the ideal solution for bringing state-of-the-art care to Issaquah and Sammanish, noting that “superior alternatives, in terms of cost, efficiency, or effectiveness, are not available or practicable.”

 
The Issaquah Surgery Center is located in the Meadowcreek Office Park at 6505 226th Place SE, Issaquah. The Center offers a wide scope of surgical care including endoscopy, gynecology, urology, breast surgery, dermal care, and general surgery. Issaquah Surgery Centers anticipates further growth with other specialists.