Dr. David DeWitt of Advanced Spine Center of Wisconsin
Spine surgery is serious business, and Dr. David DeWitt takes it very seriously. It’s more than business to him because “when patients choose me as their surgeon, they are putting their faith in me and trusting me to take good care of them.”
Dr. DeWitt’s philosophy about patient care is simple: “I want all my patients to have the best experience I can give them, from start to finish. I want them to understand their options and take part in deciding what treatment will best serve their needs. It’s a partnership. They are the patient, and I am the surgeon, but we both have to live with the outcome.”
Dr. DeWitt is a board certified, fellowship trained orthopedic spine surgeon at the Neurospine Center of Wisconsin in Appleton. He enjoys being on the cutting edge of spine care using the most advanced techniques and technologies in cervical disc replacements and fusions, as well as complex lumbar fusions. He also performs numerous minimally invasive procedures, such as micro-discectomy for herniated discs and coflex for spinal stenosis.
Dr. DeWitt is pushing his top-notch care to the next level. With his colleagues, he has developed a new outpatient surgical care center that is one of a kind: Advanced Spine Center of Wisconsin. This state of the art facility, which is one of the newest care site options for NOVO health patients, focuses on spinal surgery. His goal is for this center to become a Regional Center of Excellence for spine surgery, offering world class care.
Whether it’s close to home or a bit of a drive, patients say it’s worth the trip because of the quality of their experience.
“Some spine procedures have historically been performed as outpatient services in the hospital, and some ambulatory surgery centers are now performing cervical fusion and cervical arthroplasty. We are taking it to the next level,” Dr. DeWitt said. “Not only are we performing those procedures at Advanced Spine Center of Wisconsin, but also complex lumbar spine fusion and traditional inpatient surgeries in the outpatient setting. Patients are now afforded the option of having a wider spectrum of spinal surgeries at this boutique style facility, which provides one of a kind patient-focused care that contributes to high quality outcomes and patient satisfaction.”
The center, located in Neenah, conveniently off Highway 41, is small and completely customized to the patient’s needs, providing the best care with the highest quality, compassionate, handpicked staff. Patients experience an ICU quality nursing service with an often one-to-one level of care for an elective surgery.
One patient expressed, “from the time I walked in, to the time I walked out, I felt like everyone’s attention was focused on taking care of me.”
There is a trend toward moving more procedures to the outpatient setting because of the high quality of the care patients receive at a much lower cost. According to Medicare data, patients who have their surgery in an ASC, like Advanced Spine Center of Wisconsin, pay an average of 41% less than those having the same surgery in a hospital. These savings are passed on to the patient, resulting in less out of pocket expense, which is a win for everyone. NOVO clients are now afforded the opportunity to have their surgeries at this new exceptional outpatient center.
“So far, our patients are loving it. And it’s so rewarding for us. What is particularly exciting is the ability to evolve and grow with the advancements in spinal care and to continue to provide the highest level of care for our patients,” Dr. DeWitt said.
Another thing Dr. DeWitt said is important is to customize the post-operative rehabilitation and to tailor it to the individual needs of each patient. This allows patients to have a quicker return to work and recreational activities, while not compromising their long-term outcome.
With patient centered care at the forefront of his practice, it is clear why patients love him. Dr. DeWitt said, “From start to finish, it’s all about the patient.”
When he’s not delivering patient care, “Family, family, family is my focus,” said Dr. DeWitt. He and his wife, Liza, a pediatrician, are the proud parents of five children, aged 10-16.
Patients often ask Dr. DeWitt, “What would you do if this was you, or your family member?” His answer is always, “I wouldn’t offer options for care that I wouldn’t want for myself or my own family.”
With the way Dr. DeWitt treats his patients like family, it’s easy to see how his family of patients is growing.
