JRHA was founded by Richard Warner, the company’s CEO. Ten years ago, Warner was the first recipient of a ceramic hip implant. At the time, these implants were not FDA approved in the United States, thus Warner was forced to acquire his in Belgium and find a doctor in the U.S. who would take the risk of performing the surgery.
However, after the success of his replacement, Warner dedicated himself to the research and advancement of this technology, and saw it come to fruition with the development of his first surgery center in Indio, Calif.
“With the technology that our centers provide, a patient can leave our facility in 24 to 36 hours and recuperate for only one month before they are back to an active lifestyle,” Warner said. “Originally, a patient would be in the hospital for six days and then have to recuperate for six months afterward.”
The quick recovery is due to the hospital’s ability to perform minimally invasive procedures, with the highest quality implants. The Buellton hospital will include a three operating-room surgery suite, 12 in-patient recovery rooms, an outpatient clinic with a medical imaging suite and a physical rehabilitation facility. “We selected Buellton because it is a destination site for those who are recuperating and their families,” Warner said. “Buellton has a lot to offer in terms of location.”
JRHA intends to build 11 facilities during a seven-year time period, including the two in California, as well as sites in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, Massachusetts, Virginia and Chicago.
These specialty facilities, however, are met with resistance from general hospitals, which fear competition, Warner says. The surgery center in Indio was approved by both the planning commission and city council; however, John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital filed a lawsuit against the city, asking for them to assess the development’s effect on local healthcare and environmental concerns. The project is currently on hold until the issues are ironed out in court.
Warner disagreed with the opposition’s fear of competition. “Soon there won’t be enough orthopedic surgeons to meet the demand.” He said this is due to the aging baby-boomer population and their need for a continued active lifestyle. Warner wished the resisting hospitals would be more open to see the high need for such specialized facilities.
Warner quoted nationally recognized joint researcher, Dr. Thomas K. Fehring saying, “In 2016, nearly 200,000 patients who require hip replacement and 750,000 patients who require knee replacement will not be able to have their surgery performed, because there will not be enough orthopedic surgeons available to do the procedure.”
The project is currently being reviewed by the Buellton Planning Commission, to finalize all aspects of the architecture, landscape and design ideas. After this process, a public hearing will be held before it finally goes before the Buellton City Council.
“Conceptually it sounds like a great plan,” Mayor Victoria Pointer said. “I have heard some opposition may arise from local hospitals because there is a level of competition, but I think it could be a wonderful addition to Buellton.”
The center could provide at least 35 new job positions, from nurses and techs to administrative and janitorial staff. There are already two surgeons committed to the project. According to Warner, it could add a $20 million annual tax base to Buellton as well.
“The bottom-line financial impact of the new hospital will be unequivocally positive for the city of Buellton,” Warner said. With patients and their families coming to Buellton to use the facility, he said merchants, hotels, eateries and gas stations will all greatly benefit.
“I think this is really a win-win situation for businesses locally and a great way to put Buellton on the map with such a state-of-the-art facility,” Pointer said.
Warner hoped to see this second hospital built in the City of Buellton and looked forward to his facility being a good corporate citizen to the community. He says that his patients will benefit from the hospital, but their families can also enjoy all that Buellton has to offer.