St. Vincent Medical Center introduces new program for patients with back, neck and spine disorders.

LOS ANGELES – To improve access to highly specialized care and to further its commitment to patients suffering from spinal disorders, St. Vincent Medical Center has opened St. Vincent Spine Institute, a multi-specialty spine care clinic, that is part of a “one-stop” hospital-based orthopaedics program dedicated to providing world-class clinical and minimally invasive interventional care to patients.

The Spine Institute, 2200 W. 3rd St., Suite 120 B, is dedicated to the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of all back and neck pain, from strain and stiffness to spinal deformity, degenerative disc disease, herniated and ruptured discs, spinal stenosis, failed back syndrome, sciatica, cervical pain, scoliosis and spondylolisthesis, spinal cord tumors and spine trauma.

The Institute will also be dedicated to developing new techniques and instrumentation for spine surgery through research. This research will develop more effective approaches to alleviate spine and back pain for our patients.

The Institute will offer interventional pain management treatments, diagnostic blocks and a full range of treatment options — from spinal consultations and alternative medicine to minimally invasive surgical procedures and complex surgical reconstruction.  Other services will include the treatment of work-related spine injuries, sports-related spine injuries and rehabilitation-focused educational and exercise programs.

To provide additional convenience to patients, all diagnostic and medical/surgical treatments will be performed at St. Vincent Medical Center. Patients will have access to a dedicated surgical and treatment team with specialized equipment, and a specialty trained ortho/neuro-care nursing staff.

“Specialized integrated health care programs such as St. Vincent Spine Institute are meeting the needs of our patients and, at the same time, their health insurance companies and employers,” stated Greg Schwarz, vice-president of Business Development at St. Vincent Medical Center.  “The goal of our Institute will be to provide individualized treatment plans with non-surgical options to help return each patient to normal activity. Putting all of the diagnostic and therapeutic elements of spine care in one program enables continuity of care and the ability to fit the treatment to the individual’s specific needs.  Providing a medical home for all spine care provides unparalleled convenience and effectiveness,” he said. “We have assembled a dream team of spine surgeons who are able to perform the most advanced treatments and minimally invasive approaches.”

For more information, please visit www.stvincentspine.com or call (213) 484-7310.

LOS ANGELES – October 20, 2011 –  Four years after inaugurating the Joint Replacement Institute, St. Vincent Medical Center has expanded orthopaedic services by opening the St. Vincent Orthopaedic Institute.

Five experienced Los Angeles orthopaedists have come together to practice at the new hospital institute, which opened for patients on Oct. 17, in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Building, 2200 W. 3^rd St., Suite 120 A. The St. Vincent Orthopaedic Institute, downstairs from the Joint Replacement Institute, occupies 4,000 square feet of new clinic space, including eight exam rooms, an imaging suite, and doctors’ offices.

The orthopaedists moved their Little Tokyo, Koreatown and Montebello practices – a total of more than 10,000 patients – to St. Vincent Orthopaedic Institute.

Bringing independent orthopaedists with solid skills and years of experience together into a hospital institute creates an atmosphere of excellence. “These orthopaedists are already part of the St. Vincent family and have helped us achieve the quality distinction as the No. 5 Best Hospital in all of Metro Los Angeles,” said President/CEO Cathy Fickes, referring to the U.S. News & World Report designation for 2011-2012.

“With this new St. Vincent Orthopaedic Institute, we are amassing tremendous talent right across the street from St. Vincent Medical Center. Together with the Joint Replacement Institute, we will be able to meet the comprehensive orthopaedic needs of adults throughout the community.”

A wide range of adult orthopaedic treatments can be performed in the institute, from casting of fractures to pain management of bone, joint and spinal problems. The latest imaging equipment and electronic medical records system have been installed in the institute. The St. Vincent Medical Center Operating Rooms are equipped for orthopaedic surgeons to perform minimally-invasive, image-guided surgical procedures.