As of April 1, 2021, Brunswick Surgery Center, LLC, the region’s first and only dedicated outpatient orthopedic surgery center, added Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, one of the state’s most popular insurers, to our list of in-network health care plans.

Brunswick Surgery Center Administrator Anna Weaver, MSN, RN, CNOR, said she and Medical Director Scott Hannum, MD, have been working with commercial and government insurers to maximize in-network benefits for patients. Weaver said patients and surgeons increasingly want and need choices in outpatient surgery facilities.

“Patients are seeking high quality, more affordable options, and ambulatory surgery centers are proving to be an important part of that solution,” said Weaver. “By adding insurers, we can serve more patients.”

Hannum said Brunswick Surgery Center is a popular choice because it is an independent surgery center that offers patients a highly specialized patient experience in a more convenient, less stressful environment.

Brunswick Surgery Center, LLC, is owned and operated by a group of EmergeOrtho physicians. The specialty-trained staff and surgeons have developed the latest protocols and procedures specific to the pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative care of these patients.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Brunswick Surgery Center opened its doors in September of 2020 and surgeons at Brunswick Surgery Center performed the facility’s first eleven procedures.

“There are so many rules and regulations even in normal times, let alone during a pandemic,” Weaver said, voicing pride in how diligently the group worked through considerable challenges, even as other operating rooms were becoming unavailable because of COVID-19.

Hannum echoed the sentiment. “It’s humbling to look back and realize we pioneered the region’s first dedicated outpatient orthopedic surgery center during a pandemic,” he said. “We are very proud of our team who have continued to work hard, stay focused and provide a safe, high quality surgical experience for our patients.”

In the fall of 2020, Brunswick Surgery Center attained full accreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), an achievement Weaver said was critical to the surgery center’s mission. “In achieving AAAHC accreditation, we demonstrated safety and excellence on a national scale, giving patients full confidence in our facility,” she said.

In order to participate with Blue Cross NC, Brunswick Surgery Center is required to be licensed by the State of North Carolina (DHSR) and certified with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). In addition to Blue Cross NC and Blue Medicare plans, Brunswick Surgery Center accepts MedCost, Medicare, Medicare with supplements, workers’ compensation, Tricare and self-pay. Humana coverage began May 1, 2021, and Weaver said they are working to expand access to Cigna and Aetna policyholders in the near future.