The 56-year-old resident of Carlisle, Iowa, required treatment for a rare type of cancer on the eyelid.

In June 2007, he became one of the first patients in the hospital's new Ambulatory Surgery Center, where outpatient surgical specialists perform everything from hernia repairs to bone cancer biopsies.

Owens received care from two such specialists: dermatologist Christopher Arpey, MD, who removed his cancerous cyst, and ophthalmologist Jeffrey Nerad, MD, who reconstructed the eyelid.

While the condition was serious, his treatment was accomplished—as are all procedures in the new Ambulatory Surgery Center—without an overnight hospital stay.

"Very good, very professional," Owens says.

Owens is among a growing number of Iowans who have benefited from the $39 million center, which is staffed by physicians, nurses, anesthesiologists, and other caregivers trained for outpatient surgical care. Among many features is an on-site pharmacy that fills patient prescriptions during surgery so their medication needs are addressed immediately after they leave the recovery area.

"We are very focused on offering a very patient-focused experience," says medical director Douglas Merrill, MD. "Every patient deserves comfort and quality care."