First patient celebrates care at new Beebe Specialty Surgical Hospital

When Rosella Gray first stepped into Beebe Healthcare’s Specialty Surgical Hospital on the Rehoboth Health Campus, she was walking through as a guest. She toured the new building with a community group, but just a couple of months later, she got a call from Premier Bone & Joint Care scheduling her to be the first patient to have surgery at the new hospital.

Gray has been a nurse for 20 years, and for the past five, she has worked for Beebe in the Population Health Department. She said although she felt several emotions when walking into the new facility the day of her surgery, the biggest reaction was positive: “I was really happy, really proud to be the first patient!”

This was her second knee surgery done by Dr. Wilson Choy and, in addition to being honored to have her surgery at the new center, she also said she was greatly at ease with him.

“Dr. Choy is great because he is easy to talk to, he listens and he is very skilled,” said Gray. “There were times before the day of surgery that I needed quick answers to questions, and I would leave a voicemail with the office. Within an hour, someone from Premier called me back and addressed all my concerns.” Choy was truly there for Gray every step of the way.

As with many surgery patients, much of the day is a blur due to anesthesia, but Gray recalled many of the comforts the Specialty Surgical Hospital offered, like the tasty food and private overnight rooms.

“It wasn’t even because I was a team member, because I didn’t know everyone there. That’s just Beebe at its best,” she said.

The Specialty Surgical Hospital is packed with the latest technologies to streamline operative care for patients with a wide range of medical needs, from bariatric and breast procedures to orthopaedic surgeries. The $124 million, four-story, state-of-the-art surgical hospital ensures patients with scheduled surgeries do not need to compete for services with more acutely sick patients and emergency patients at a general acute-care hospital. Choy and other surgeons will be able to perform both minimally invasive and robotically assisted surgeries at this new facility.

Now, six weeks after surgery, Gray is feeling great and getting better every day. She is very grateful for Choy and his team, and she is already is hoping to get back to her work with the Population Health team.

As a community-based, not-for-profit healthcare system, Beebe Healthcare depends on the generous support of the community it serves. To make a gift to celebrate the excellent care you or a loved one has received, visit Beebe Medical Foundation at beebemedicalfoundation.org/donate or call 302-644-2900. Want to share your story? Contact Amanda Neal at aneal@beebehealthcare.org.