09/07/2021
Omaha, NE – OrthoNebraska, the region’s leader in comprehensive orthopedic care, is taking their long-standing relationship in Council Bluffs and southwest Iowa to the next level with a new 23,000-square-foot orthopedic clinic and physical therapy building located along U.S. Interstate 80 slated to open in September.
“This is a really exciting time at OrthoNebraska,” says Chief Executive Officer, Levi Scheppers. “After opening our new concept of what an ideal orthopedic clinic should look like in Elkhorn last Fall, this was an obvious next step for us. We want the people of this community to have access to the high-quality, cost-effective care we provide. And it is important to us that we make it easily accessible and with the right services on site. This was a key focus as we narrowed in on the right location.”
The new facility, which will move from its current location on Methodist Jennie Edmundson’s campus to 1260 Valley View Drive, will include 11 exam rooms, two procedure rooms, two casting rooms and several thousand square feet of physical therapy space. Having immediate access to an expert clinical diagnosis and X-ray, physical therapy, casting and splinting under one roof is really important for getting patients on the road to recovery quickly. The new Council Bluffs location will bring that to reality in a way that isn’t possible today.
“We really wanted to grow our presence in Council Bluffs and the surrounding area,” states President of OrthoNebraska Clinic and Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Ryan Arnold. “Our organization has been a part of this growing community for decades, and we want to grow with it – offering more specialists, more services and more direct access to care.”
Providing access has been a focus for the organization, who was the first in the Omaha area to provide Orthopedic Urgent Care services seven days a week, including late on weeknights. In addition, OrthoNebraska provides sports medicine coverage to many area high schools and youth athletic organizations. Oftentimes, athletes want to be evaluated right away to see if they should continue competing. If not, they want answers in terms of a prognosis and timeline for their return to the field or court.
OrthoNebraska has also added another way to make getting an appointment easier: online appointment scheduling. After answering a few questions about their insurance and reason for visiting, patients can choose the date and time that works best for them based on the appropriate specialist for their problem. This can be done on the go or at home 24/7 rather than calling for an appointment only during business hours.
Arnold continued by saying, “It is important to remember that patients don’t need a referral to seek out the expert opinion of an orthopedic surgeon. There are only so many hours in a day, and when an injury happens, providing walk-in specialty care means a faster, safer road to recovery.”
Orthopedic urgent care is still a relatively new concept nationwide, and this will be the first time it is offered by anyone in Council Bluffs. One key difference between traditional urgent care and orthopedic urgent care is that traditional urgent care often means the patient must pay a higher co-pay, whereas orthopedic urgent care is billed the same as a normal specialist clinic visit. Along with getting X-rays which are often needed, this saves the patient both time and money with a quick and efficient start on their journey to recovery. While orthopedics and surgery have long been thought of together, the reality is most patients do not need surgery. In fact, 2 out of 3 patients who step foot in OrthoNebraska will fully recover without it.
“With patient experience scores that surpass many benchmarks, OrthoNebraska is really a destination for musculoskeletal care,” says Arnold. “Many of our orthopedic surgeons sub-specialize in very specific areas. Patients are truly getting expert advice and treatment, but beyond that we hope they find the entire experience unmatched.”
After practicing in Council Bluffs for more than 20 years Dr. Craig Hansen is excited to be a part of raising the bar for the level of orthopedic services in the area.
“My grandparents relocated to Council Bluffs and my parents were both born and raised here, as was I,” Hansen said. “I strongly believe our patients deserve for us to keep pushing for higher levels of care and access. And that goes not just for Council Bluffs, but all of Southwest Iowa, too. We are the closest orthopedic option for many of those folks.”
