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Hacienda Surgery Center Ramps Up Quickly
By Nicole Zaro Stahl Open since October 2008, the Hacienda Surgery Center (HSC) has already claimed its place as a key healthcare provider in the region, with a patient volume that has quickly risen to 300-plus cases per month. This fast track to success is hardly an overnight phenomenon, however. Rather, it is the result of visionary thinking, backed up by almost five years of meticulous planning to meet exacting industry standards. The driving force behind the new facility was a pair of far-sighted and energetic physicians: Robert Malstrom, M.D., a musculoskeletal specialist, founder and President of Tri-Valley Orthopedic Specialists (TVO), and President of HSC; and Gregory Horner, M.D., a hand specialist and CFO of the Surgery Center, according to Ken Venos, M.D., the Center’s Medical Director and an orthopedic surgeon himself. Recognizing the role of decentralized patient care in offsetting rising medical costs, Drs. Malstrom and Harner resolved to help the community adapt to the changing healthcare landscape by creating an ambulatory surgery center offering orthopaedic, gastroenterology, ENT, spinal, and pain services. The search for an appropriate site for the proposed center was “not a simple task,” relates Venos. When the 32,000-sf building at 4626 Willow Road became available a few years ago, the project became viable—especially with the prospect of a co-located TVO on the second floor. The next hurdle was retrofitting the 1980s tilt-up to accommodate all the systems and equipment necessary for outpatient surgery, and making sure the building was up to current codes. “This was not a rehab, it was a total reconstruction. We now meet full standards for fire and earthquake safety, but the only way to do that was to take the building down to the studs.” Given its magnitude, the project actually “went quite smoothly,” Venos notes, observing that “to anticipate, build, license, and open a facility like this over such short a timeline is quite an accomplishment.” In the course of the reconstruction, the entire existing information infrastructure was removed and replaced with state-of-the-art technology, putting both organizations several steps ahead of the current national initiative for electronic patient records. “Our IT team has created a very sophisticated system that has equipped us with the full armamentarium for sharing patient information, such as MRI studies from other facilities. The Obama Administration has made paperless information systems and electronic patient management mandatory for 2015, but we are already at that apex,” he says. A synergistic relationship with MedBridge, a Santa Barbara-based company that develops and manages medical facilities, was instrumental in “avoiding hiccups” throughout the process, Venos adds. “The complexities of insurance contracting, licensure, etc., demand a high level of attention. MedBridge was involved from early in construction, and, because of the specialized expertise required, our facility manager and human resources manager are MedBridge employees.” The 16 surgeons who practice from the facility are supported by a staff of 49 full-time employees, including operating room and recovery room nurses, scrub technicians, sterile processors, and medical assistants. The director of nursing, operating room manager, and post-op and recovery manager are also on site, along with materials management and administrative personnel. For more information, visit www.haciendasc.com. Attorneys and Staff at Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel Enjoy New Hacienda Home
By Nicole Zaro Stahl After eight years in a building nearby, the Pleasanton branch of Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel, the San Jose business law firm, moved into the park last month, taking over a 6,000-square-foot suite on the third floor of Hacienda Terrace, at 4309 Hacienda Drive. The dozen employees based in the office—seven attorneys and a staff of five—are enjoying their new environment, which boasts floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto Mount Diablo and the eastern foothills. Beyond its beautiful views, the new location represents “more than just new digs,” according to Hoge Fenton Managing Shareholder Steve Siner, who just happens to be resident in the Pleasanton office. “We always wanted to be part of the business community here in the park, and when the conditions were right we jumped at the opportunity. The quality and image of the new space is truly reflective of the quality of our law firm, and our neighbors are businesses we’d like to represent,” Siner relates. Established in 1952, Hoge Fenton has a long history in northern California, with a broad spectrum of practice areas in the business arena. “We identify ourselves as a full-service business and real estate law firm. We have 45 lawyers and pride ourselves on servicing a wide variety of business entities and individuals.” The Pleasanton practice closely parallels that of the larger office in San Jose. “I do a lot of estate planning and business work,” says Siner. “The other attorneys here—Sblend Sblendorio, John Doyle, David Hofmann, Catosha Woods, Laura Dumas, Lorna Drope, and Raji Nagarkar—have expertise in litigation, business finance, work-outs for troubled companies, mergers and acquisitions, estate planning, and tax and IP transactions.” Dumas, Drope, and Nagarkar divide their time between the two offices. “Our clients value our small-firm client service, mid-size firm creative billing solutions, and large-firm expertise and bench strength,” Siner remarks. Given the firm’s long-time relationships with many of the region’s leading businesses, Siner has an interesting perspective on the current economic climate. “I’m a realist. That means I am very cautious and probably the last person to put a positive spin on things,” he comments. Still, there has been an undeniable uptick in business lately. “Clients who had been postponing discretionary legal work, like redoing a trust or making a small business acquisition, are now venturing out to do something they previously couldn’t afford,” he observes. He has also noticed a diminishing need to stretch out payment schedules. “The business cycle always has its ups and downs, but sometimes you have to look harder to find the silver lining. These are very significant signs to me, so I do see the dark clouds parting.” Along with a strong focus on client service, Hoge Fenton has an established tradition of civic engagement and community service. “All lawyers in the firm are encouraged to participate in pro bono legal work, and to be good corporate citizens,” Siner points out. The firm supports a long list of Tri-Valley nonprofits and is looking forward to participating in Hacienda’s community initiatives as well. For more information, visit www.hogefenton.com or call (925) 224-7780. |
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| Last modified: August 13 2009 15:50:56 Copyright © 2010 HBPOA |
