Ballantyne Magazine covers news, events, real estate, restaurants, shopping, health, schools and business in the upscale Ballantyne Area of Charlotte, NC.
Issue link: https://ballantynemagazine.epubxp.com/i/42111
BALLANTYNE | wellness Liszka, a surgeon with Ballantyne Plastic Surgery, who uses the operating suites quite often. "It is always more pleasant to be able to look outside than being surrounded by four walls." Liszka also loves the XM satellite radio in the operating rooms. "It reduces stress for me to play music that I enjoy while operating," he says. Susan Osmar, nurse manager of the Presbyterian Surgery Center at Ballantyne since its inception, says the two same- day surgical suites and pain management room were designed for a glimpse of sky as well as the fountain below. The operating rooms also have surgical booms suspended from the ceiling so nurses don't have to physically haul equipment around. Even the welter of electrical cords has been whisked off the floor into an upright chute to reduce the chance of tripping by surgical personnel. Osmar also insisted on separate pre- and post-op suites for patient comfort, as well as a recovery room for children so their crying doesn't disturb adults coming out of anesthesia. The recovery room can also be used for isolation or a VIP. The spacious, light-filled first floor of the Presbyterian Ballantyne Imaging and Breast Center offers CT, ultrasound, digital mammography, bone- density screening and routine diagnosis exams, including chest X-rays and MRIs. Sherri Tartt, manager of radiology, says the natural light flooding the offices and scanning room make all the difference in the staff's attitude. "Most radiologists spend all day in the dark, never seeing daylight," she says. "We wouldn't want to work anywhere else." Wellness Trends Wellness strategies today often play off exercise fads. For instance, Toth of The Spa at Ballantyne partnered with Aetna to hold Tai Chi classes, and brought in nutritionists, along with reflexologists, who showed people how to apply pressure to points on their hands while they are working to reduce pain and stress. Premier now offers free on-site yoga and kickboxing classes, both of which are taught by employees. At Aetna, the office location provides an ideal setting for popular exercise and stress- reduction techniques during work breaks. "Ballantyne Corporate Park is a very employer- and employee- oriented complex," Perren notes. "Our 30 employees here utilize the fitness trails, walking and bike paths, and some have started their own walking groups during the day, using the paths around the ponds. One of the ponds is so peaceful — with benches as well as picnic tables — that employees refer to it as our 'local Hawaii.'" Perren adds that other employees get a regular stress relief break by using the putting green. Employees Drive Wellness Serving 2,400 hospitals and 70,000 other health-care sites, Premier is at the forefront of the transformation toward 76 BALLANTYNE MAGAZINE CELEBRATING TEN YEARS 2000-2010 WINTER 2010-2011 Benjamin Eppes/Blackbox Studios