MultiCare Health System will soon open a new ambulatory surgery center at the MultiCare Gig Harbor Medical Park on Point Fosdick Drive in the Uptown Gig Harbor Shopping Center. The ambulatory surgery center will open in early Jan. 2009 and provide a broad array of surgical services that do not require a hospital stay. Those include orthopedics, urology, gynecology, podiatry and ear, nose and throat. Services also include general surgical procedures such as mass and cyst removal, biopsies and hernia repair.

“This is a big step forward for the Gig Harbor community,” said MultiCare Gig Harbor Medical Park Administrator Mary Grubbs. “When we met with members of the community, we heard that a conveniently located day surgery center was a needed community asset. We are please to be able to provide this needed service.”

Also coming in January 2009, the first radiation oncology system in Gig Harbor will be available through the MultiCare Regional Cancer Center. The system in use will target a tumor or legion while minimizing damage to surrounding tissue and eliminating the illness commonly associated with radiation treatments.

MultiCare is proceeding with this service following a Nov. 11 ruling from the Washington State Court of Appeals, which reaffirmed an earlier ruling from the Department of Health approving MultiCare’s plans to open the ambulatory surgery center.