Facility Upgrades and Expansions
Balise Entrance
Completed in March 2023, and made possible by a generous donation from the Balise Family, the new Balise Entrance, formerly the West Entrance, offers improved Hospital access to patients and visitors. Inpatient and Outpatient Surgical patients, Diagnostic Imaging, and all Hospital visitors are encouraged to utilize this entrance, where they will be directed to proceed to the Patient Information Desk. Use of this new entrance will improve patient and visitor access as dedicated parking spaces are adjacent to the new entrance.
This modernized and welcoming entrance will be the focal point for patients, staff, and community accessing the hospital for their care. It will also serve as a much-needed outdoor area for respite for patients and families while receiving their care and for the exceptional caregivers that serve our community daily.
ER-B Behavioral Holding Unit
Fully funded by the Foundation through philanthropy provided by members of the community and our partners in support of South County Health, the ER-B unit of the Emergency Department, re-opened in June 2023 after months of renovations.
Renovations to the ER-B unit include facility response solutions to better accommodate patient holding in the Emergency Department, including but not limited to patients with behavioral health diagnoses who are there for extended periods, through enhancements to the rooms and common areas that intend to promote patient safety and experience
Many of these enhancements were developed and designed in part through input provided by a multidisciplinary team of South County Health stakeholders that included representatives from the Medical Staff, Emergency Department, Nursing, the Community Health Team, and Facilities among others.
Lobby Improvements - New Cafe & Gift Shop
In collaboration with our valued food and beverage partner Unidine, we are excited to open a new South County Health Café that is set to open in May 2024.
The new café – called Healing Grounds Café – is located in the main lobby near the Balise Entrance, where the current gift shop is located. The café is welcoming space, offering a selection of breakfast, lunch, and a variety of coffee and beverages. Unidine fully funded this project, demonstrating their commitment to enhancing the overall culinary experience at South County Hospital for our community. We are grateful for their support and look forward to the positive impact this new addition will have on South County Health.
A new South County Health Gift Shop has also been constructed simultaneously with the café and is fully funded by philanthropy and South County Hospital Auxiliary. The South County Hospital Auxiliary has long-supported South County Health and this permanent and upgraded space adjacent to the courtyard and Balise Entrance will better support the Auxiliary’s fundraising efforts for many years to come.
Temporarily, we will also be relocating our History wall and donor plaques to storage. However, these important elements will be reintroduced later this year in a new manner. The History wall will be relocated to the surgical hallway and will feature Hospital artifacts, elements of the previous History wall timeline, and new digital displays. This will allow us to highlight more of the great history and culture that helped shape who South County Health is as an organization today. Additionally, we will be centralizing all donor plaques to an interactive digital monitor that will be located by the entrance in the main lobby as part of a new digital wall recognizing our amazing donors and business partners. We recognize the significance of these displays and are dedicated to preserving and enhancing their legacy at South County Health.
All of these facility upgrades mark significant milestones in our ongoing commitment to providing exceptional care and experiences for all who walk through our doors. These additions not only elevate the aesthetic appeal of our facilities but also enhance the overall experience for our patients, visitors, and staff. We recognize the importance of creating welcoming and comfortable environments, and these enhancements are a testament to our dedication to that endeavor.
Key System Statistics
Procedural First and Milestones
Dr. Sarazen's Aquablation Procedure
Arnold Sarazen, MD, Chief of Surgery and Urology at South County Health, performed the first Aquablation procedure at South County Hospital on January 20, 2024. This procedure, Aquablation therapy, is the latest in medical technology for men suffering from Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), also known as enlarged prostate.
Now available at South County Hospital, Aquablation therapy is an advanced, minimally invasive treatment that allows our surgeons to use the power of water delivered with robotic precision to provide long-lasting BPH relief without compromise and minimal risk of irreversible complications like incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and ejaculatory dysfunction, all with a fast recovery time.
“We are proud to be the first in Southern Rhode Island to offer a solution for men with BPH that provides significant, long-lasting symptom relief, with lower risk to sexual function and continence,” said Arnold Sarazen, MD, Chief of Surgery, Chief of Urology, South County Health. “Aquablation therapy is the next step to furthering our commitment to innovation and providing access to new technological advancements to our community. Being able to provide this treatment, right here in South County, is going to significantly improve the lives of our patients.”
Dr. Brady’s da Vinci Milestone
In February 2023, Dr. Joseph Brady reached a milestone after completing the 1,000th robotic-assisted surgery of his career. A general surgeon at South County Health since 2017, Dr. Brady, achieved this milestone during a routine gall bladder surgery using the assistance of the da Vinci Xi Surgical System.
Specializing in gall bladder and hernia repair surgeries, Dr. Brady performed his first robotic-assisted surgery in 2015 and the first ever at South County Hospital on May 31, 2018, using the da Vinci Xi. Since 2018, 788 robotic-assisted surgeries have been completed by the expert general surgeons on South County Health’s medical staff, with 16.3% of all general surgery procedures performed at South County Hospital being robotic-assisted surgeries. In 2022, that number increased to 24.8% of all general surgery procedures, with 50.1% of Dr. Brady’s surgeries performed with the assistance of da Vinci Xi.
Dr. Marchand's Mako Milestone
In March 2023, Dr. Bob Marchand of Ortho Rhode Island reached a global milestone after becoming the first orthopedic surgeon in the world to complete their 9,000th Mako-assisted procedure. As part of Ortho Rhode Island’s pioneering joint replacement team, Dr. Marchand is one of the foremost robotic surgeons in the world.
“Thirteen years ago, we brought Mako to South County Health to offer state-of-the-art treatment that puts patients’ needs and outcomes at the center of our care,” Dr. Marchand said. “It’s a privilege to have helped thousands of patients with robotic-assisted procedures, and to grow this technology along with our expert team at Ortho Rhode Island.”
Through a partnership with Ortho Rhode Island, and the opening of the Center for Advanced Orthopedic Surgery at South County Hospital, South County Health is a global leader in robotic-assisted surgery. Since pioneering the use of Stryker’s Mako SmartRobotics™ surgical technology for hip and knee replacements in 2010, the expert surgeons at Ortho Rhode Island have performed more than 17,000 robotic-assisted hip and knee replacement surgeries at South County Hospital.
New SCMG Provider Spotlight
SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM
PRIMARY CARE
Julie Carroll, AGNP, is a board-certified Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner. Julie attended the Chamberlain College of Nursing and Purdue University. Julie is currently seeing new patients in our Cranston Primary Care office.
Mohammed Kattan, FNP, is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with experience in assisted living facilities, telemetry, and Interventional Radiology. Mohammed holds a Master of Science from Salve Regina University and is currently seeing patients in our Narragansett Primary Care office.
Diane McKeeff, APRN, is a board-certified Advanced Practice RN specializing in primary care and internal medicine. Diane studied at New York University. She has been in practice since 1999 and is currently seeing patients in our Narragansett Primary Care office.
Renee Morais, FNP-BC, is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner. Renee studied at Elms College and The University of Rhode Island. Renee is trilingual in English, Portuguese Creole, and Spanish, and is currently seeing new patients in our Warwick Primary Care office.
Melissa-Jean Suttmeier, FNP-C, is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She is a graduate of Rhode Island College and Purdue University Global. Melissa is currently seeing new patients in our East Greenwich Primary Care office.
GENERAL SURGERY
Marissa Cunetta, PA-C, joined the surgical team at South County Health. Marissa is Board Certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and assists our general surgeons during operative procedures and in providing care to patients during their hospital stay.
OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY
Sarah West Allen, CNM, is a Certified Nurse Midwife. Sarah studied at Oberlin College and Oregon Health Sciences University. She graduated with honors from The University of Massachusetts Medical School in 2015 and has expertise in obstetrics and gynecology.
Matthew Danish, MD, is a board-certified Oncologist. He completed his fellowship at Brown University and residency at Rutgers University. Dr. Danish brings his expertise treating all blood diseases and malignancies to our Cancer Center in Wakefield.
Paul Lvovsky, DO, is a board-certified Radiation Oncologist. He studied at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Columbia University. Dr. Lvovsky has particular expertise in prostate, breast, skin, and lung cancers.
UROLOGY
Katelyn Johnson, MD, is a board-certified Urologist. She completed her residency at Yale University with expertise in robotic surgery and the diagnosis and treatment of unwanted fertility, erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, urologic reconstruction, benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), kidney stones and overactive bladder.
Daisy Award
The DAISY Foundation was established in 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes. His family was awestruck by the care and compassion his nurses provided and one of the goals they set in creating a Foundation was to recognize extraordinary nurses everywhere who make an enormous difference in the lives of so many people by the super-human work they do every day. Cinnamon rolls were a favorite of Patrick’s during his illness. The Barnes Family asks that whenever and wherever nurses smell that wonderful cinnamon aroma, they stop for a moment and think about how special they are.
2023 South County Health Daisy Award Recipients
Samantha Chin, RN
Becca Crofts, RN
Sarah Aubois, RN
Caroline Peguero, RN
Corey Cook, RN
Sarah Kettle, RN
Bethany Reinhard, RN
Petal Award
The Petal Award is a program created by South County Health’s Nursing Shared Governance group to recognize nursing support staff who go above and beyond their line of duty. Nurses wouldn’t be able to perform their jobs without the help of dedicated and talented support staff.
Petal Award honorees personify South County Health’s commitment to patient experience. These individuals consistently demonstrate excellence through their extraordinary, compassionate care while promoting a restful and healing environment.
2023 South County Health Petal Award Recipients
Laura Gardiner
Corrine Perrin
Elisa Lovegrove
Digital
Enhanced Patient Portal
As part of South County Health’s digital transformation strategy to improve patient access to healthcare and personal health information, an upgraded electronic medical record (EMR) system used by South County Medical Group practices was launched in March of 2022. The enhanced patient portal used for primary care and specialty practices, offers a new feature allowing current patients to self-schedule upcoming primary care and specialty visits including virtual visits.
In FY2023, over 21,000 patients enrolled in the SCMG Patient Portal with over 1,700 appointments or virtual visits scheduled through the portal.
Get Care Now (Virtual)
Digital Statistics
SCH Now App
The SCH Now App, our digital front door was relaunched in 2023 making it easy for patients to access high-quality healthcare – including our Get Care NOW portal from their smartphones or other personal devices. Available on the App Store and Google Play, over 5,000 individuals downloaded the new SCH Now App in 2023.
