Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Recognized for Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology

FAIRFAX, VA  – (February 15, 2013) – Inova Fair Oaks Hospital has been named a Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology (COEMIG) by the AAGL, the leading association promoting minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. The hospital is one of the first facilities in the world to be awarded the COEMIG designation.

Center of excellence certification means that both the hospital and surgeons have undergone a critical review process and met standards developed by the AAGL and Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) to ensure the efficacy, safety and efficiency of their minimally invasive gynecology program. To earn the designation, Inova Fair Oaks Hospital provided information on all aspects of its minimally invasive gynecology program and processes, including data on its surgical outcomes.

“Earning the center of excellence designation signifies our ability to consistently deliver the safest, highest-quality care to minimally invasive gynecologic surgery patients,” said Dr. Ray Wertheim, Co-Director, Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Center of Excellence at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital. “The COEMIG program fosters quality improvement in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, and participation has focused our team on exceeding clinical benchmarks and guidelines. But most importantly, our commitment to excellence improves the health and well-being of our patients.”

Inova Fair Oaks Hospital has long been a leader in the field of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, an advanced alternative to traditional open surgery. In 2012, the highly skilled medical team performed 97.6 percent of gynecologic procedures using a minimally invasive approach, compared to the nationwide rate of 25 to 32 percent, according to Dr. Leonard Rosen, Co-Director of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Center of Excellence and Chairman of the Robotics Committee at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital. “There’s not another hospital in the nation that can boast those statistics,” adds Rosen. The center’s wide array of minimally invasive procedures includes treatment for uterine fibroids, stress urinary incontinence, abnormal bleeding, pelvic floor disorders, gynecologic cancer, endometriosis and uterine prolapse.

“The advantage to the community is that women now have an opportunity to have the best possible care with a less invasive procedure, which means that they will recover faster, have less pain and the results are more aesthetically pleasing,” says Lynne Kennedy, PhD, RN, Program Coordinator of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital. “The majority of patients go home within four hours of surgery and can return to their normal lives in two weeks or less.” SRC is an international organization committed to advancing the safety, efficacy and efficiency of surgical care worldwide and has developed center of excellence programs and health information technologies that promote measurable improvements in quality and outcomes for surgeons, facilities and patients. The AAGL is an internationally recognized authority in minimally invasive gynecology, with over 5,500 members in 95 countries.

To learn more about Inova Fair Oaks Hospital’s minimally invasive gynecologic surgery program, call 703-391-4841 or visit www.inova.org/ifoh.

About Inova
Inova is a not-for-profit health care system located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, serving over two million people with over 1,700 licensed beds based in Northern Virginia. Inova consists of five hospitals including the area’s only Level 1 Trauma Center and Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care unit. Inova encompasses many health services including the nationally and internationally recognized Inova Heart and Vascular Institute (IHVI), Inova Translational Medicine Institute (ITMI) on genomics, Inova Neuroscience Institute and Inova Children’s Hospital. Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research. More information and statistics about Inova is at www.inova.org.
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