CEI adds “one-stop” experience for patients who need eye surgery

Preoperative physicals are mandatory for most patients who need surgery. Cincinnati Eye Institute’s new service, a “one-stop” experience offers preoperative physicals at the Blue Ash location has now expanded to the Middletown location to accommodate patients who need a physical before surgery.

Christina Wilson, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, a nurse practitioner with CEI’s preoperative and wellness service, says patients’ ease of making appointments and being able to see her quickly is an innovative option getting rave reviews. Wilson is certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She graduated from Xavier University’s Family Nurse Practitioner program and has worked in a variety of hospital settings, including preoperative and postoperative surgical areas.

What do you do at CEI? 

As a Family Nurse Practitioner, my role at CEI is to complete preoperative physicals to determine if our patients are healthy enough for eye surgery.  By completing a preoperative evaluation, I’m able to alert the surgical team and anesthesia of any pre-existing conditions that may place the patient at an increased risk of complications. During these exams, I complete a detailed medical history, medication review, physical exam with vital signs, and complete or order any diagnostic tests if necessary.

How does the health and wellness program at CEI make a difference to our patients and what kinds of services do you offer CEI patients?

It’s a requirement for our patients to have a preoperative physical completed 30 days before surgery.  For many patients, it can be difficult to schedule an appointment with their primary health care provider on such short notice, and for some patients they may not have a primary healthcare provider.  We also have a large population of patients that rely on family members to take them to appointments, and for many this would mean another day away from work or rearranging schedules in order to accommodate. By providing these services at CEI, we offer our patients a convenient option to complete this necessary requirement in the same setting they receive their ophthalmology care. This visit is billed through the patients insurance, same as if they were seen by their primary healthcare provider. A physical completed at CEI also eliminates the hassle of having records transferred from an outside healthcare provider to our surgery center. Because I’m in-house provider at CEI, I’m familiar with our surgeons’ guidelines and have a clear understanding of what information is required for surgical clearance. The thought of having eye surgery can be very overwhelming, so to help ease any stress or anxiety, I spend time during this visit discussing the plans for anesthesia and expectations for the day of surgery.

How easy is it to get an appointment for a patient to get their pre-op physical?

The clinic strives to be a convenient and an accessible service for our patients. Currently, the clinic is open Monday through Friday at our Blue Ash location (except the first and third Tuesday of every month).  We have recently expanded our services to our Middletown location on the first and third Tuesday of every month, and we hope to grow to other CEI locations in the near future. Preoperative physicals can be completed anytime within 30 days of the patients scheduled surgery. For an added convenience, preoperative physicals can even be scheduled right after your initial consultation with your CEI surgeon if the patient’s surgery date is within 30 days. These appointments can be scheduled through your CEI surgery scheduler or by calling 513-984-5133.