There have been a lot of changes at the Lakeway Regional Medical Center in 2015. And 2016 looks to hold a lot more great things to come.
Lakeway Regional Medical Center is primed to become the premier hospital in Central Texas for complex brain, spine, and joint procedures. In addition, the hospital recently has been designated the Emergency Preparedness Command Center for Western Travis County.
So how did LRMC, known for being a beautiful — but a bit of an empty hospital — become one of the centers of medical innovation in the Lake Travis area?
Let’s start with a brief timeline to get you caught up, then we will dive more in-depth to find out what 2016 has in store for the Lakeway Regional Medical Center.
April-Early Summer 2015:
Philippe Bochaton is named Chief Executive Officer of Lakeway Regional Medical Center. Prior to joining Lakeway Regional Medical Center, Bochaton served as Chief Administrative Officer, Neurosciences and Rehabilitation and President, NeuroTexas Institute Research Foundation at St. David’s HealthCare in Austin for more than seven years.
The NeuroTexas physician group moved out to the Lakeway Regional Medical Center to begin performing complex surgical procedures. This group, along with the Austin Spine Group, already present at LRMC, combined their expertise to launch the Center for Spinal Disorders.
Carl Lauryssen, M.D. joined LRMC neurosurgery in June and brought with him a wealth of experience, including access to spinal clinical trials.
Mid and Late Summer 2015:
The board of directors announced a new management team which included Lisa Hoffpauir, Chief Administrative Officer; Kyle Johnson, Chief Financial Officer; Denise Krajewski, Chief Nursing Officer; Amy Reeves, Director of Human Resources; Kara Krauskopf, Quality Director; and Christin Cross, Director of Marketing.
The hospital, in partnership with Emergency Medical Services, law enforcement and fire departments, as well as local elected officials from Lakeway, Bee Cave, The Hills and other surrounding Lake Travis area communities have agreed to a fully equipped emergency operations center within the hospital.
October 2015
Lakeway Regional Medical Center announced the launch of a stroke program which provides evidence-based stroke care to the Lakeway community and the surrounding region. The hospital was certified by the Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center in December 2015.
See what we mean? A LOT has happened. We caught up with LRMC to ask what it all means and what’s in store for 2016:
LTL: There have been a lot of changes at LRMC. With so many programs being implemented, what is the major focus for 2016?
LRMC: In the second half of 2015, Lakeway Regional Medical Center laid the foundation for two of our main goals that we will continue to strive for in 2016 – to become a destination hospital for complex brain, spine, and joint surgeries and to deliver the best quality patient care in emergency room, primary care, and women’s health services, including obstetrics.
There is significant growth, investment and development of the medical village surrounding the hospital that is expected to be completed in 2016, in addition to the expansion of the medical office building space to accommodate new physician groups on our campus. We will be making many exciting announcements that add to the medical services we provide to the community in 2016.
LTL: When Philippe Bochaton was brought on board back in late April, was it because LRMC wanted to become a leader in spinal surgery and neurosurgery? How many of the programs have come to fruition from his influence?
Or was it the other way around in that the board of directors wanted these programs and they found a implementer in Mr. Bochaton?
LRMC: Philippe Bochaton became the CEO in late April of 2015. Philippe has a vision for the hospital and the potential for the hospital to become the destination center for complex surgeries.
This is a shared vision with the physicians and board of directors. Collectively, the team has been driving this agenda to achieve key milestones for the hospital, including recruiting NeuroTexas and other physician practice groups to Lakeway Regional Medical Center.
Philippe understands that making the vision a reality requires passionate, committed people and he feels he’s built that team to ensure the hospital’s success.
LTL: Did the $3.5 million dollar investment in imaging, navigation, and robotic surgical equipment come about because of LRMC being designated as an Emergency Operations Center in Western Travis County or more so because of the spinal, orthopedic, neurosurgery, and stroke programs?
LRMC: The $3.5 million investment was made to expand the existing operating rooms and add the latest technology, including the Stealth navigation and the Da Vinci Robotic Surgical systems. This investment was necessary to attract and retain first class surgeons who perform complex brain and spinal surgeries.
In addition, the management team is working with technology providers in an effort to create a regional training center where surgeons from across the country would train on the latest, state-of-the-art navigation and robotic technologies.
Big thank you for the time Lakeway Regional Medical Center took to answer our questions. Here’s to 2016 and all the amazing things to come!
