PROGRESS: Activity picking up at Riverview Surgical Center

Riverview Surgical Center in South Sioux City continues to see an increase in patients, CEO Lee Hilka said, and by the end of the year he expects to have hired more staff members and have more physicians with surgical privileges there.

"It's been kind of right on track," Hilka said.

The two-story, 48,000-square-foot facility at 201 E. Fourth St. provides patients with a scenic view overlooking the Missouri River while recovering from their surgical procedures. The center's location on the bank of the river has already drawn rave reviews from patients, Hilka said.

"People are saying it's the most beautiful setting they've ever seen," he said.

The surgery center contains three operating rooms, space for a future cath lab, procedure rooms, pre and post operation patient bays and six comfort suites with a view of the river for overnight patient stays. Medical offices fill the second floor. Hilka said plans call for the cath lab to be opened by summer.

With the Delta Hotels by Marriott next door, Riverview has a partner that enables patients and their families to enjoy a more comfortable recovery. Patients can choose to stay in a hotel suite during their recovery, an option Hilka said can reduce patient costs by 30 percent. Patients and families staying at the hotel will enjoy good food, a quiet environment and a private nurse.

"It's just better recovery. It's more comfortable. Their families can stay with them," Hilka said at September's ribbon-cutting.

The $32 million, physician-owned and directed surgical center offers orthopedic, plastic and general surgery, pain management, regenerative medicine, gastroenterology, outpatient joint replacement and minimally invasive surgery.

Hilka said more than 150 procedures have been performed since the first one in October. The pace should pick up in coming months as the center gains accreditation from more insurance carriers. Already Medicare accredited, the center should have 100 percent of insurance carriers by this spring, Hilka said.

With the increased activity comes the need for more staff. The center currently employs 20-25 people, and Hilka said he expects that number to grow to 70-75 by the end of 2020. He also expects that 40-50 physicians will have privileges at the center by then, and the center is recruiting more from Omaha and Sioux Falls so that patients can remain close to home for their surgery rather than traveling to those cities.

As activity increases, the center is operating according to plan, Hilka said.

"Everything has gone fine, especially the staff. It's a great staff," he said.

The facility's open house and ribbon-cutting in September drew Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts to town. He touted Riverview as sign of South Sioux City's investment in the future, a health care facility that can attract families to South Sioux City and the tri-state area.

"This is a huge deal, not only for the people who will be working here, but for the Siouxland area," Ricketts said. "Projects like this do not happen by accident, they happen through bold vision."