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patients in the care they receive is supported by many of the hospital-based programs." PAIN MANAGEMENT Pa in Ma nagement is a nother prog ra m that ca n a nd should be accessible in a communit y, Dr. Yeats says. " These a re patients who a re of ten mobility cha llenged a nd over whelmed w it h a ch ron ic c ond it ion , a nd t hey shouldn't be worr ying about the idea of having to drive downtown and navigate parking and traffic congestion. We have been for tunate to have created a col- laborative prog ra m with Christopher Gilliga n, MD, who is the Chief of Pa in Medicine at BIDMC. He spends time here at the Center for Specia lty Care and works with other supporting specialties. It is a great program for us to bring to the community, a nd we know it is needed," says Dr. Yeats. "It is a huge convenience for patients. It is a big dea l that we a re able to do it close to home because we a re treat- ing patients on a fa irly reg u la r ba sis. It is not just a question of a one-time visit," expla ins Dr. Gilliga n, who says t h at con su lt s a nd mos t procedu re s a re done in Milton. Stephen Bennet t, a patient of Dr. Gi l liga n, admits t hat hav ing access to a BIDMC physicia n was ver y comfor ting. "It was a great experience, a nd I love the fact a doctor from downtown ca me out a nd saw me," he says. " They were ver y ca ring a nd accommodating, a nd never in a rush. They were professiona l a nd compa ssionate, a nd I love that it was so close to home." Like a ll of the specia lty practices, the pa in ma na gement ser v ice relies on a multidisciplina r y approach to treating patients, encompassing traditiona l and complementa r y therapies. " Patients a re prov ided w it h ever y option for ca re," says BIDMC a nd BID- Milton pain specia list Paragi Rana, MD. " These ra nge from medication ma n- a gement , i nt er vent ion a l t her a pie s i nc lud i n g t r i g ger p oi nt i nje c t ion s , u ltra sound-g uided inter vention, a nd implants to more homeopathic methods, such as massage therapy, acupuncture a nd chiropractic ca re. We a lso have a wonder ful psycholog ist who provides pat ient s w it h c og n it ive b eh av ior a l therapies a nd biofeedback." With the addition of a new procedure suite, patients can have injections and other treatments conveniently performed next to the Center for Specia lty Care. "There is a lot of flexibility in the type and speed of care we are able to provide because it is a lways ava ilable to us," Dr. Rana says. "It is relatively rare that we send patients to Boston." Both Dr. Gilligan and Dr. Rana work closely with Dr. White and Efstathios "Steve" Papavassiliou, MD, a neurospine surgeon who sees patients at the BID- Milton Spine Program. "We have been working closely together collaborating throughout the years. We communicate with each other and easily go back a nd for th a nd sha re ideas quite effor tlessly," Dr. Gilliga n says. The expa nsion of surg ica l ser vices, upgrading of surgica l equipment, mea- surement of operating room eff iciency and ensuring the qua lity of patient care a re a ll key a reas that Chief of Surger y Edwa rd Rea rdon, MD, oversees. " We have been able to ex pa nd our abi l it ies to br i n g cl i n ica l ca re f rom the medica l center to Milton, a nd the specia lists a re able to ver y effectively see patients at the Center for Specia lty Ca re a nd do t he procedures t hat a re appropriate for Milton right here," he says. " BI D -M i lt on ha s become ver y ef fect ive w it h or t hoped ic, u rolog ic, ba r iatr ic, g y necolog ica l, colorecta l, ha nd a nd spine surger y." Dr. Rea rdon envisions more operat- ing space in yea rs to come in order to accom modate t he increa se in surg i- ca l volume. " We a r e r u n n i n g at a h i g h u s a ge because of our na me recognition in the community a nd because being so clini- ca lly strong has sig nif ica ntly cha nged people's perceptions over the past four yea rs since the aff iliation. People see it as a bonus if they don't have to go into downtown for world-class ca re." For more information about the Center for Specialty Care at BID -Milton , or to refer a patient, please call 617-313-1445 or visit www.bidmilton .org. ■ BID-Milton Chief of Surgery Edward Reardon, MD, has overseen an increase in surgical volume. 1 2 1 2 ❱❱❱❱❱ S P E C I A L F E A T U R E