Out with the Old…In with the New

If you’ve been near the Miller Hill Mall lately, you have probably seen all the construction going on. The former Sears building is now being renovated into a brand-new 41,000 square foot Essentia Health outpatient surgery center.

Those behind the project say the center will meet the growing needs of patients who want to have surgeries and recover in the comfort of their homes. Procedures that will be done in the beginning stages of the new building will be cataract surgery, small joint repairs, shorter nature orthopedic procedures, and some pediatric and emt procedures.

“Everything we do here is the same that a hospital does. It just adds that focus for patients that they can have outpatient surgery, have cost-efficient surgery, and be able to go home the same day. That is what patients are wanting,” said Lindeman. They want that care, and they want to be able to go home and sleep in their beds at night.”

Ester Linderman is the director of the Miller Hill Surgery Center. She is also a nurse.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jefferson Davis, DO, says having this new building and new technology will benefit both patients and physicians who will be using it.

“Certainly 30 years ago, when they made the ORs they did not plan on the state-of-the-arts things and equipment that we have. It is a challenge to get those stuff into rooms that weren’t made for that. So, it is going to be super exciting to be operating in that environment.”

The new surgery center will open in July 2022.