August 25, 2006, ST. LOUIS - The Washington University Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Barnes-Jewish Hospital have begun construction of a new, $13 million outpatient orthopedic facility on property in a prime West County location.

The building, at 14532 South Outer Forty Drive in Chesterfield, will be a 60,000 square foot facility offering comprehensive, one-stop outpatient care — including physician offices, examination rooms, ambulatory surgery suites, diagnostic radiology (including MRI imaging and general diagnostic services) and rehabilitation and hand therapy services.

The center will be the department''s primary facility for sports medicine, hand surgery, shoulder surgery, foot and ankle surgery and physical medicine and rehabilitation.

"This facility is being designed to provide patients with the latest, technologically advanced orthopedic care," says Richard H. Gelberman, MD, the Fred C. Reynolds Professor and head of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and chief of orthopedic surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. "Patients will have access to minimally invasive surgical procedures that will allow them to be admitted and discharged on the same day. Non-surgical services will include a rehabilitation center, and the building will include space to support future expansions when they become necessary."

All surgeons, physiatrists, radiologists and anesthesiologists at the new center will be Washington University physicians. Barnes-Jewish Hospital will manage the ambulatory surgery center, including pre-operative, operative and post-operative services and the radiology services including the MRI and general diagnostic radiology. Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital will manage rehabilitative service and outpatient physical therapy. Hand services will be provided by therapists from the Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis'' Milliken Hand Rehabilitation Center.

The facility will relocate and expand orthopedic surgery services from clinical offices at 1020 North Mason Road, near Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital. The services offered in the new location will complement the department''s existing clinical practice at the Center for Advanced Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital at the Washington University Medical Center, where spinal, joint replacement, trauma and orthopedic oncology services are based.

Clayco is the general contractor for the project. The developer is Clayco Realty Group. ACI Boland is the project architect. Construction already has begun and is scheduled for completion during the summer of 2007.