Our Vision

To achieve the highest standards for ambulatory surgical care and health care improvement in the community in which we live and work.

Our Pledge

Accountability, Accessibility, Acceptability and Affordability.

The Surgery Center staff strives for the utmost in accountability to patients, taking personal responsibility and involvement in their care. We hold ourselves up to the best demonstrated practices for outpatient surgery and care. The center is both Medicare certified and accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). Our Executive Director is the only board-certified surgery center administrator in the state. All of which makes us stand above other ambulatory surgical centers.

Our foundation rests on our quality, said Dr. James R. Barton, of Greater Milwaukee Otolaryngology. "We think we offer something very beneficial and of value to the community of Milwaukee and extending beyond to Racine, Kenosha and Waukesha," Barton said. "We have a top quality environment to offer our patients, who are our customers, and we are going to prove it, with our data, to show that we've got the quality, and we've got the numbers to match it."

Part of the draw of our center is its accessibility. Located just off I-94 and near other major thoroughfares, the center is about a 15 minute drive, or less, from anywhere in the Milwaukee area. The center offers bountiful and convenient parking. Unlike the maze that patients must negotiate in a hospital environment, our building has only two lobbies to walk into: either the physician's offices on the upper level or the Imaging Center and Surgery Center on the lower level.

"The center is very accessible," said Dr. Gordon L. Mortensen, Medical Director of the Surgery Center. "The surface parking is ample, and patients can walk right in without having to navigate parking structures or elevators. The goal is to make this a convenient place for surgeons to operate in, too, and to make it both a convenient and affordable place for patients to come for their outpatient surgery."

As more patients become active in choosing the setting for their care, the physicians at Associated Surgical & Medical Specialists wanted to make sure that the atmosphere and quality of care at the center is not only acceptable but desirable. The center has a 99% overall patient satisfaction rate, based on surveys returned, said Dr. Satish Kodali, of Greater Milwaukee Otolaryngology. "Patients are extremely happy with the facility," Kodali said. "They also say how convenient and easy it was. You'd think something like this would have been done earlier. This is the future of outpatient surgery."

Patients want individualized care, pointed out Dr. Ashok Kumar, of Greater Milwaukee Surgical Associates, S.C. One of the consistent complaints from his patients is that facilities have become too large and sometimes impersonal. "Patients want personalized care, and some of that gets lost as facilities become larger and larger. We service a significant number of elderly patients who are intimidated by the size and scope of health care facilities. For non-complicated issues, they like to go someplace like our facility which has a home-like feel. We offer the latest and most innovative technologies offered anywhere else, plus patients feel comfortable, and they don't have the hassles of going to a larger place," Kumar said.

Our welcoming atmosphere boasts an inviting fireplace, lower intensity lighting and extensive use of wood. But the pleasing atmosphere is not just for patients — it also provides a level of comfort for your families. Family and friends can read by the fireplace and enjoy complementary fruit juices, coffee and soda.

Associated Surgical & Medical Specialists offers not only the best care in outpatient surgery — the same level of care offered at a hospital — but it offers this care without the higher overhead costs of a hospital.

"By putting our resources together, we are able to prove to the public and to insurers, that we are offering the best quality of care at an affordable price," said Dr. Barry Usow, of the Clinic of Urology, S.C. Not only is the care more affordable, but the care is more efficient, pointed out Dr. Joseph E. Geenen, of Gastroenterology Consultants, Ltd. Surgeons and staff can operate smoothly, and patients spend less time waiting or being shuffled from department to department. "Because our center is owned 100% by physicians, we're going to make sure it works well and operates efficiently," Geenen said. "I think without a doubt this is the way medicine is going to move forward. If you have an operation that could be done in an outpatient center where it is done with efficiency, quality and cost-effectiveness, why would you want to do it anywhere else?"

Disclosure of Ownership

The Surgery Center at Associated Surgical and Medical Specialists is a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC), which is owned by local surgeons and medical specialists, one of whom may be your physician. These physicians have become owners as a result of their commitment to the highest quality health care and superior customer service to their patients. You should know that this facility might have a financial relationship with your physician. You have the right to choose an alternative source of service. Please contact your surgeon or medical specialist's office to obtain a list of sites where he/she has privileges to practice.