Community Corner
St. Joseph's Opens New Pediatric Facility in Fair Lawn
The outpatient surgery center will be the first of its kind in the area to focus exclusively on children.
A joint venture between St. Joseph’s Hospital and Surgem, LLC, will bring a unique pediatric facility to Fair Lawn next month.
The St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Pediatric SurgiCare Center will provide same-day outpatient surgery to children, including gastrointestinal, optometric, and orthopedic procedures.
“One of the things we’ve lacked is a place to take care of kids only,” said St. Joseph’s CEO William McDonald at the ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday night, which Mayor John Cosgrove of Fair Lawn also attended.
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The new facility will provide, exclusively to children, procedures previously conducted only at the main hospital. “It’s really different to take your children into an impatient facility,” McDonald added. “They’re scared.”
The Fair Lawn center employs specialists who are certified in both surgery and pediatrics, and their training coupled with the design of the interior is intended to provide a calming atmosphere.
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A spokesperson said that the facility will allow many children to avoid the main hospital, without sacrificing the level of medical attention provided by a hospital staff.
Such outpatient facilities exist for adults, but the one that will open on Broadway February 15 after three years of planning will be unmatched in its focus on children.
“This is the only pediatric facility in the tri-state area that does this on an ambulatory basis,” Surgem CEO John Hajjar said.
