NEW Hand Center Offers Specialty Care to the Peninsula

Above article writtne by Kim O'Brien Root

Overview

It's hard to imagine life without the use of your hands. Just one hand, including the wrist, has 27 bones—each responsible for its own movement. The hands are so intricate that there are surgeons trained to treat them exclusively. In a joint venture between Sentara and Tidewater Orthopaedics, the new Sentara Hand Specialty Center delivers superior, coordinated hand care from pre-op through rehabilitation. The center opened in early February.

"Our hands and our fingers are so vital to everything we do," says Stacey Bell, chief executive officer for Tidewater Orthopaedics. "To have a team that this is all they treat—it'll be good for everyone involved."

24/7 Specialty Care and Integrated Rehab

The center offers 24-hour care for conditions below the elbow, including broken bones, crushed fingers, and severe lacerations. Hand surgeons are on call for emergencies at Sentara emergency rooms in Hampton, Newport News, and Williamsburg, with same-day follow-up appointments in a hand clinic when urgent surgery is needed. Physical and occupational therapy are coordinated post-surgery to support recovery.

Expert Surgical Team

Doctors Robert Campolattaro and Nicholas Smerlis, both long-time Tidewater Orthopaedics surgeons, are board-certified hand specialists. They are joined by Dr. Robert Mason, who specializes in upper extremities including the hand, and by Tidewater Ortho’s dedicated hand physician assistant (PA), Gabrielle Lanzetta.

Only about 2,000 orthopedic surgeons in the United States are board-certified in hand surgery. Subspecialty training is becoming more common nationwide as centers focus on meeting patients’ needs. "As the population ages, we're needing more orthopedic care," says Carole Guinane, Sentara's vice president for system orthopedics. "We're living longer; our joints wear out. Plus, we're more active." This is Sentara’s second hand specialty center, following the one at Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk, extending access across the Peninsula.

The center offers 24-hour care for conditions below the elbow, including broken bones, crushed fingers, and severe lacerations. Hand surgeons are on call for emergencies at Sentara emergency rooms in Hampton, Newport News, and Williamsburg, with same-day follow-up appointments in a hand clinic when urgent surgery is needed. Physical and occupational therapy are coordinated post-surgery to support recovery.

• Depending on the injury, patients may go directly to the operating room or be stabilized and scheduled for a same-day or next-day hand clinic visit at Tidewater Ortho.
• Some injuries, such as open fractures, receive immediate operative care: "Anything that requires surgical intervention will get care by a hand surgeon," says Dr. Campolattaro.
• Certain surgeries are performed at the CarePlex Orthopaedic Ambulatory Surgery Center (COASC), an outpatient facility attached to Sentara CarePlex, Expert Surgical Team
• Doctors Robert Campolattaro and Nicholas Smerlis, both long-time Tidewater Orthopaedics surgeons, are board-certified hand specialists. They are joined by Dr. Robert Mason, who specializes in upper extremities including the hand, and by Tidewater Ortho’s dedicated hand physician assistant (PA), Gabrielle Lanzetta.

How the Center Works

Dedicated Equipment and Staff Training

The center has deployed specialized hand carts—“hand crash-carts”—in the ERs. "If you come in, the surgeon has access to the specialty supplies he needs," says Shannon Ferguson, director of Sentara patient care services/surgical services. "You don't have to wait and he doesn't have to hunt."

ER staff are trained on best practices for hand injuries, including optimal splinting, wound care, necessary tests, and pre-op processes. For example, if a patient arrives with a detached finger, staff know how to care for both the patient and the digit while a hand surgeon is called. "Over time they'll get more comfortable with what they can do," adds Dr. Smerlis.

Better Coordination and Peninsula Coverage

Previously, if a hand surgeon wasn’t available, patients might be seen by a general orthopedist on call and then transferred to facilities in Richmond or Norfolk for hand surgery. The new center enhances coordination and coverage, helping patients receive comprehensive treatment on the Peninsula and improving access to post-op care and rehabilitation.

"Potential patients will have full coverage for hands," Guinane says. "You don't have to travel to get great care. You don't have to go to Washington, D.C., or down to Duke. We really do supply high-level orthopedic care in our region. We're proud of that."

Services Offered

• Board-certified hand specialists
• Dedicated staff and resources
• Coordinated care across the continuum, including rehabilitation
• Same-day appointments in a hand clinic
• Dedicated supplies in the emergency department
• Dedicated time in the operating room

Conditions Treated

• Tendon lacerations
• Broken bones
• Cut nerves
• Crushed fingers
• Nail bed lacerations

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What is the Sentara Hand Specialty Center and who is behind it?

Short answer: It’s a dedicated hand-care program created through a joint venture between Sentara and Tidewater Orthopaedics to deliver specialty care for conditions from the elbow down. Opened in early February, the center provides coordinated, high-level care across the full continuum—pre-op, surgery, post-op, and rehabilitation—serving patients across the Peninsula.

Question: What kinds of injuries and conditions does the center treat?

Short answer: The center addresses virtually any urgent hand and wrist problem, including tendon lacerations, broken bones (including open fractures), cut nerves, crushed fingers, nail bed lacerations, and severe wounds. In general, if it’s below the elbow and needs specialized attention—emergent or surgical—the hand team is equipped to handle it.

Question: How does 24/7 emergency coverage work, and what happens if I go to the ER with a hand injury?

Short answer: Patients arriving at Sentara CarePlex Hospital (Hampton), the ER at Sentara Port Warwick (Newport News), or Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center are first evaluated by ER staff. If hand subspecialty care is needed, an on-call hand surgeon is contacted for immediate assessment. Depending on the injury, you may go straight to the operating room or be stabilized and scheduled for a same-day or next-day hand clinic visit. ERs have dedicated “hand crash-carts” so surgeons have the exact supplies they need, and staff are trained in best practices (e.g., splinting, wound care, and caring for detached digits). Some surgeries occur at the CarePlex Orthopaedic Ambulatory Surgery Center (COASC), an outpatient facility attached to Sentara CarePlex.

Question: Who are the specialists providing care?

Short answer: Board-certified hand surgeons Dr. Robert Campolattaro and Dr. Nicholas Smerlis (both long-time Tidewater Orthopaedics surgeons) lead the team, joined by Dr. Robert Mason, who specializes in upper extremities including the hand, and dedicated hand PA Gabrielle Lanzetta. Only about 2,000 orthopedic surgeons nationwide are board-certified in hand surgery, underscoring the center’s subspecialty expertise.

Question: What makes this center different from how hand injuries were handled before?

Short answer: The center brings 24-hour access to hand surgeons, dedicated ER supplies, same-day clinic follow-ups, reserved OR time, and integrated rehab—improving coordination that was previously fragmented. Instead of potential transfers to Richmond or Norfolk when a hand specialist wasn’t available, most Peninsula patients can now receive comprehensive, high-level hand care close to home, with better continuity through post-op therapy.