Kenmore Mercy Hospital has gone through many changes over the past year, as the Catholic Health hospital continues its development as an Orthope­dic Campus of Excellence in Western New York. From pre-surgical education to post-hospital rehabilitation, Kenmore Mercy offers orthopedic patients a complete continuum of care all in one location.

Changes to the hospital campus began last summer with the opening of a new $14 million Emergency Department. The 40,000-square- foot facility is nearly double the size of the old ER. With 23 private exam rooms, a separate "fast-track" area for minor emergencies, and a dedicated outpatient orthopedic clinic, Kenmore Mercy is able to offer its emergency and orthopedic patients greater comfort, convenience and privacy.

Sitting just above the new Emergency Department, Kenmore Mercy opened its new Knee & Hip Center last October. The 24-bed unit supports the hospital's high demand for orthopedic surgery with specialized inpatient and rehabilitation services. Consistently ranked among the top providers in the county for joint replacement surgery, the new unit reflects Kenmore Mercy's commitment to provide area patients with the highest quality care and accommodations.

Kenmore Mercy performed nearly 950 total knee and hip replacements procedures in 2013, a 24 percent increase since opening its original Knee & Hip Cen­ter in 2004.

"Our knee and hip procedures have grown significantly over the past 10 years," said Marcus Romanowski, MD, chief of or­thopedic surgery at the hospital. "The boom in surgeries created the need for a larger, more modern Knee & Hip Center and more operating room capacity."

Later this summer, Kenmore Mercy will unveil two new, state-of-the art surgical suites designed to accommodate minimally-invasive and robotic surgery technology. Catholic Health is also developing an Orthopedic Subacute Rehabilitation Unit at McAuley Residence, which is located on the Kenmore Mercy Hospital campus.

Together, these new facilities and services provide comprehensive care for orthopedic patients before, during and after surgery, making Kenmore Mercy a Campus of Excellence for orthopedic care in Western New York.