Friday, May 8, 2009

Health Uncle:Orthopaedic Project Resumes

Wellspan Health,a nonprofit,integrated health system for Southcentral Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland,is resuming its Rehabilitation and Specialty Hospital project.The project was halted when economic conditions deteriorated.The hospital will be located in York County,Pennsylvania's Apple Hill medical campus.It will offer 73 beds and four orthopaedic operating rooms.With the graying of the population,such a facility will be increasingly useful in the years ahead.Joint replacement is one of the most common surgeries among the elderly.It is often minimally invasive,and the quality of the replacement joints is significantly better than in the past.They can last for up to 20 years now.In osteoarthritis,the cartilage between the joints wears away,and the bones then rub against each other,causing debilitating pain and stiffness.Knees,hips and shoulders affected by it are replaced by the hundreds of thousands each year.Athletes of every age are also turning to orthopaedic procedures to extend their careers.
Some 450,000 people live in Wellspan Health's service area.The health system is anchored by York and Gettysburg Hospitals.

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