Hammond-Henry Hospital will have a “Doc Stars: Backstage Pass to Surgical Services” Open House, on Thursday, Sept. 28 from 5 to 7 p.m.

An employees-only tour will be conducted from 2 to 4 p.m. that same day at the hospital, at 600 N. College Avenue, Geneseo.

Melissa Braddock (center), surgical services manager at Hammond-Henry, with other hospital staff dressed up for the Sept. 28 “Doc Stars” open house.

There is no charge to attend, and no advance reservations are needed. The “Doc Stars” open house will begin with a stop at a ticket booth, located at the North Entrance, followed by guided “red carpet” tours of the Surgery Suite, located on the hospital’s second floor.

All participants – children and adults alike – are invited to explore a “behind-the-scenes” look including the opportunity to meet our doctors, view actual videos of a robotic total knee arthroplasty (knee replacement surgery), robotic laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal), a colonoscopy, and a cataract surgery, as well as view the procedure from the same vantage point a surgeon has while operating the robot.

“People don’t realize the incredible cutting-edge equipment we have here at Hammond-Henry,” Melissa Braddock, Surgical Services Manager, said in a Monday hospital release. “They often think since we’re a smaller, independent critical access hospital that we may not have all the amenities of a larger facility. That just isn’t true, you will definitely be surprised.”

The primary goal of this event is to offer education on the surgical services offered at the hospital. Surgery nurses will serve as your tour guides, escorting you through two of the hospital’s Operating Rooms, Endoscopy Room, the PAT (Pre-Admissions Testing/Family Living) Room, Surgery Scheduling, the PACU (Post-Anesthesia Care Unit), Surgical Clinic, and the Rehab Department, including the Tudi Edwards Rehab Center for Excellence and the Colo Aquatics Center.

Melissa Braddock does her Joan Jett impression.

“Four surgeons will be featured, and you will be invited to ask questions following their presentations,” said Braddock. “We will comprehensively explain every step of the process: from the surgery check-in to the actual procedure, on through post-surgery and physical therapy. We have a top-notch team from start to finish, and this is a golden opportunity to show them off.”

The four presenting surgeons will be Dr. Mark Davis, FACS; Dr. Matthew Heberer; Dr. Mark Stewart; and Dr. Thomas Rizzo. Representatives from Intuitive, Zimmer, Olympus, and Vantage will also be present to answer any specific equipment questions.

The stations include a focus on total joint replacements, gall bladder removal, podiatric surgeries, cataract surgeries, endoscopic procedures, general surgeries, and physical and occupational therapy.

There will be 10-minute stops at each of the stations, with swag bags distributed, photo opportunities, and light refreshments served at the tour’s conclusion.

Earlier this year, the Chartis Center for Rural Health recently announced that Hammond-Henry Hospital was recognized as a “2023 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital.” This annual recognition program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance Index.

Hammond-Henry was the only critical access hospital in Illinois recognized in this category for 2023. For more information on the hospital, click HERE.