Long Beach Memorial Opens New Spine Center for Elective Surgical Procedures

"The Spine Center at Long Beach Memorial offers patients comprehensive surgical spine care," says Barry Ceverha , M.D., medical director, Spine Center, Long Beach Memorial. "Our team is dedicated to treating back pain and spinal conditions where a surgical approach serves as the best option for relief."

The Spine Center care team provides patients with experienced neurosurgical and orthopedic surgical teams that include, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, a nurse care coordinator, registered nurses, pain medicine physicians, physical/occupational therapy and radiologists. Together this group creates individualized treatment plans that are unique to each patient's needs.

The new Spine Center with its dedicated unit, featuring private patient rooms, emphasizes patient and family education pre-operatively. Long Beach Memorial's Spine Center offers multidisciplinary pre-operative education class to prepare patients for spine surgery. This comprehensive education program includes patient guidebooks and encourages family support in the form of a patient "Coach" role who is there as friendly and familiar encouragement for the patient. The nurse care coordinator assists with the coordination of care from pre-op through discharge, setting patient expectations for pain management and post-op rehabilitation.

"The Spine Center is designed to guide patients through the surgical process through evidence-based practices —including patient education," says Tamra Kaplan, Chief Operating Officer,
Long Beach Memorial. "Our team of experts is committed to every patient's surgical and recovery success."

About Long Beach Memorial
Named among the top 12 hospitals in the Los Angeles Metro area by U.S. News and World Report, Long Beach Memorial has been providing compassionate care with the latest state-of-the-art technology for more than 100 years. Long Beach Memorial is the region's first choice for comprehensive care in virtually every medical and surgical specialty.

Long Beach Memorial is at the forefront of patient care with the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute's 64,000 sq. ft. Todd Cancer Pavilion, which houses all outpatient cancer services under one roof. Also, the MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute recently opened a Hybrid Imaging Suite, which features advanced imaging technology, combining the diagnostics and capabilities of a catheterization laboratory with the surgical functions of an operating room.

Additional Centers of Excellence include the MemorialCare Rehabilitation Institute, MemorialCare Orthopedic Institute, MemorialCare Neuroscience Institute, Stroke Program, MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center, Emergency Department and Regional Trauma Center.

SOURCE Long Beach Memorial