The world-class care provided by the Johns Hopkins Department of Otolaryngology– Head and Neck Surgery is limited only by its capacity to see patients, says Patrick Byrne, director of the Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. That’s why the new Pavilion III at Johns Hopkins’ Health Care & Surgery Center at Green Spring Station is so exciting, he says.

The department first opened offices on that campus 20 years ago, providing a range of services including those related to audiology and hearing, head and neck cancer, pediatric otolaryngology, sinus and allergy disorders, thyroid and parathyroid disorders, and Byrne’s own specialty of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. However, moving into suites in the new building will double the size of the clinic, allowing providers to see more patients. 

Facial plastic and reconstructive surgery will have its own dedicated suite in Pavilion III, says Byrne, who is also medical director for the new ambulatory surgery center. The other specialties within the department will be in another suite across the hall. Both suites will include state-of-the-art equipment for diagnosing and treating patients. 

The pavilion began opening in stages May 28, with the outpatient surgery center set to open in September.

“This is the biggest, boldest move the department has ever undertaken since it expanded into Green Spring Station two decades ago,” Byrne says.

Not only will there be more capacity on the campus to treat otolaryngology-head and neck surgery patients, he adds, but patients will have access to surgical services that have never been available at Green Spring Station. That’s because Pavilion III will combine this expanded clinical space with one of the largest ambulatory surgery centers in Maryland. 

More and more patients are opting to have their procedures at freestanding ambulatory surgery centers, says Byrne, with research showing that surgeries at these centers are as safe as those within hospitals, Byrne says — data that’s compelled many insurance providers to gradually phase out reimbursement for these procedures at hospitals in favor of those taking place at ambulatory surgery centers. In addition, many patients prefer to have their procedures at locations that are convenient to their homes or workplaces.

“We know that from surveys of our own patients, a large portion strongly prefers the advantages to staying nearby rather than going to a large hospital,” says Byrne. “It’s especially true for patients having elective or pediatric procedures.”

This new addition will allow the department to considerably increase its volume of sinus and facial plastic surgeries immediately. Other subspecialties, including otology and head and neck endocrine surgery, plan to add their surgical services to the center in 2020.

“Johns Hopkins draws patients from around the world,” Byrne says. “But we care so much about our patients in the community that we want to move into their neighborhood to make their care as convenient and accessible as possible.”  

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