36 S G M A G A Z I N E | FA L L 2 0 1 7 Welcome ENT & Allergy Associates of South Georgia Ambulatory Surgery Center • New state-of-the-art facility serving patients throughout South Georgia • Ideal patient flow from admission to discharge • Convenient scheduling, lower costs, and optimum service and privacy • Surgeries performed in Ambulatory Surgery Center include: Ear, nose and throat • Ear tube replacement • Tonsillectomy • Adenoidectomy Sinus surgery • Septoplasty • Thyroidectomy In addition to state licensure, the Ambulatory Surgery Center has earned both the Certified Administrator Surgery Center credentials from the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association and The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval. Both credentials required extensive evaluations to ensure that the highest quality of compliance are met for overall patient care. ENT & Allergy Associates of South Georgia 2910 N. Patterson Street | Valdosta, Georgia 31602 | 229-244-2562 www.entofsouthgeorgia.com Dr. Ronald Allen Dr. Thomas Phillips Dr. Theodore J. Kanne B U S I N E S S + C U LT U R E 37 36 S G M A G A Z I N E | FA L L 2 0 1 7 B U S I N E S S + C U LT U R E 37 ENT & Allergy Associates of South GeorgiaCelebrates theOpeningof Ambulatory Surgery Center For more than 50 years, ENT and Allergy Associates of South Georgia has been a leader in providing healthcare related to ear, nose, and throat issues. As part of its continued growth, ENT and Allergy Associates of South Georgia recently opened an Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) in Valdosta. The ASC is conveniently located next to the main office at 2805 North Oak Street in Valdosta. The ASC provides patients with convenience and an experienced, dedicated, and caring medical team. Designed to provide ideal patient flow from admission to discharge, the ASC is equipped for outpatient procedures and offers several advantages to the patient including less wait time, convenient scheduling, lower costs, and optimum service and privacy. “Surgeries performed in our surgical center provide patients with a positive and much more peaceful experience,” said Dr. Ronald V. Allen. “We are able to perform approximately 90 percent of our surgeries in the new center.” “In addition to being able to control the quality of care, through the center we can help control the cost associated with surgery,” Allen said. “The pricing structure we offer is especially beneficial to a patient who has a high deductible and may have to pay for the procedure out of pocket.” Allen said that using the surgery center provides an estimated savings of 25 to 30 percent compared to using a medical center. ENT and Allergy Associates of South Georgia serves patients from six months through adult. Surgeries that can be performed in the ASC are related to ear, nose, and throat, and include ear tube placement, tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, sinus surgery, septoplasty, thyroidectomy, and more depending on the patient’s need.  Allen explained that in some cases, if a patient has a complicated medical issue or prior health problem, that patient may not be eligible to use the surgical center. When patients arrive at the ASC, they immediately begin to experience the comfort and convenience of the state-of-the- art facility, which features two surgical rooms and pre- and post-surgical units. In addition to state licensure, the center has earned both the Certified Administrator Surgery Center credentials from the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association and The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval, which demonstrates compliance with the Commission’s standard of healthcare and surgical quality. Both credentials required extensive evaluations to ensure that the highest quality of compliance is met for overall patient care. The new ASC represents a significant milestone in the growth and continued medical services ENT and Allergy Associates of South Georgia provides to its patients throughout South Georgia. “The plans to build a surgical center started many years ago,” Allen said. “However, in the last couple of years, it became apparent that we needed to move forward.” In addition to providing a more relaxed surgical environment for patients and reducing healthcare costs, the ASC will assist ENT and Allergy Associates of South Georgia in recruiting a medical staff for future growth. “If we are going to continue to grow, we need the surgery center to attract new doctors to this area,” Allen said. “Having a surgery center as part of our practice allows us to control expenses for our patients, offer more flexibility with scheduling, and be competitive in getting future physicians to join us.” ENT and Allergy Associates of South Georgia was established in 1963 by Dr. Briggs Smith, who retired in 1998. In 1974, Dr. James Dennard joined the practice, and he is now deceased. In 1995, Dr. Ronald Allen joined the practice followed by Dr. Thomas Phillips in 1999, and Dr. Theodore J. Kanne in 2002. For more information, visit the ENT and Allergy Associates of South Georgia website at entofsouthgeorgia.com or call 229-244-2562.