On August 10th, 2022, we gathered with community members and staff – new and old – to celebrate 50 years of St. Cloud Surgical Center!
In a town filled with many different healthcare options to choose from, we are proud to have made it to such a momentous occasion. When Dr. Joseph Belshe first opened the doors of St. Cloud Surgical Center in 1972, the dream was to give Central Minnesota a safe, welcoming space that offered affordable surgery. Fifty years later, we’re still bringing his dream to life!
As the second ambulatory surgical center in the United States, we have always had big shoes to fill. With many dedicated team members throughout our tenure, we have created the St. Cloud Surgical Center you know and love today. To show our appreciation for the community that has been so welcoming to us and the staff who gives more than we could ask, we threw a large celebration at our newly renovated facility in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Here are some of the highlights from the night!
Founder Dr. Joseph Belshe and his wife, Mary, traveled all the way from Florida to be with us! To see Dr. Belshe, who will be 102 in January, at our 50th anniversary was a dream come true. Without his vision and leadership, St. Cloud Surgical Center would not be the facility it is today. THANK YOU, Dr. Belshe!
“Celebrating 50 years in this community, caring for patients was a huge milestone for us! The evening of our party was an amazing experience, seeing our founding physician at 101 years old co-mingling with retired physicians and staff who helped build the center to what it is today, alongside current physicians and staff who are keeping the legacy of the center alive and moving forward. It was a family reunion of sorts with the new people celebrating with the founding fathers. There was a lot of joy and celebration in the air that night.” – Darci Nagorski, CEO, St. Cloud Surgical Center (pictured below in white)
We kicked off the event with community members from the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce! A big thank you to everyone who came out to tour our space, eat yummy food from Food Ecstacy, and mingle with familiar faces. We are beyond proud to serve the Greater St. Cloud community!
In the second half of the night, physicians and staff, both past and present, flooded our parking lot with their families to share stories and express their gratitude to Dr. Belshe. For some, it was like seeing an old friend, but for many, seeing him in person was an experience they had only dreamed about.
Everyone in attendance was invited to partake in a tour of our newly remodeled facility. If you missed out, read all about it here! The tour included stops at the VELYS and Stryker ORs, patient admitting rooms, sterile processing department, and the staff favorite, our breakroom.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for Jupiter Moon! Check out those cute faces enjoying a sweet nightcap.
Lastly, a special thank you to all of our amazing vendors! We couldn’t have put on this incredible event without you:Lastly, a special thank you to all of our amazing vendors! We couldn’t have put on this incredible event without you:
Design Electric | DePuy / J&J – VELYS Robotics | El-Jay Plumbing | Food Ecstasy | Gaslight Creative | Image Builders | Inspire Therapy | Joel & Jack Hagberg, Musicians | Jupiter Moon Ice Cream | Kaeding Architecture | KW Photography | Lazer Flooring | Mortenson Construction | St. Cloud Surgical Center Physicians |St. Cloud Surgical Center Teammates | Stryker – MAKO Robotics | Sunray Printing | Von Hanson’s Catering | Westside Liquor …and all others not listed who have contributed to our recent remodel projects and success of our facility over the years!
Travel back in time to the year 1972. Gerald Ford has just been sworn in as Vice President, the Dallas Cowboys won the Superbowl, The Godfather is a smashing success at the box office, and the St. Cloud Surgical Center has officially opened its doors for the first time.
When Dr. Joseph Belshe, an anesthesiologist from rural Minnesota, began his quest to establish an affordable surgery option in his community, he never imagined it would be what it is today. As the 1st outpatient surgical center in Minnesota and only the 2nd in the US, the odds were stacked against him, but he had the right people on his side, and it made all the difference.
In a recent interview with Dr. Belshe, who turned 100 years old in 2021, he told us the dream of St. Cloud Surgical Center was not one he had alone, but one he knew was possible. “The surgeons I worked with were searching for a less expensive and better way to do simple surgeries outside of the hospital. With modern anesthesia, I knew it was possible,” said Dr. Belshe.
From finding a facility and acquiring licensure from the State to convincing insurance companies to come on board, Dr. Belshe diligently followed his calling. As we celebrate the center’s 50th anniversary, Belshe continues to credit the “good people around him” for his success.
You read that right, St. Cloud Surgical is turning FIFTY. We’re officially over the hill, but we’re not slowing down quite yet. In 1972, Dr. Joseph Belshe revolutionized healthcare in Central Minnesota, and we couldn’t be prouder to see the center reach this milestone!
At St. Cloud Surgical Center, we value the impact we have made on our community and its impact on our organization. Without the support, acceptance, and stewardship of those in the Central Minnesota community, St. Cloud Surgical Center would not be what it is today.
A Look At Our Journey
To say a lot can happen in 18,250 days would be an understatement of the century! Since Dr. Joseph Belshe founded our unique center in 1972, we’ve moved locations, changed logos, completed multiple renovations, and more. Take a trip down memory lane with us!
1972 – Dr. Joseph Belshe founded the St. Cloud Surgical Center, and the first procedure is performed on a 7-year-old.
1992 – First pain management procedure performed.
1993 – The Center moves to a new 25,000 sq. ft., nine operating room facility on Northway Drive.
1997 – Milestone: 100,000 total cases!
2002 – The Center expands to create more patient support rooms and two additional operating rooms, resulting in a total of 11 operating rooms and over 36,000 sq. ft.
2004 – First Total Knee Replacement performed at the Center.
2007 – Milestone: 200,000 total cases!
2008 – Surgical Care Affiliates Acquires St. Cloud Surgical Center, making us one of the largest independent surgical providers in the country, working to improve the quality and cost of surgical care nationally.
2009 – First Shoulder Replacement performed.
2013 – Operating Rooms 9 and 11 are remodeled to create larger rooms for robotic orthopedic cases.
2014 – First Outpatient Hip Replacement performed.
2015 – First Mako Robotic Total Knee Replacement performed by Dr. Nessler.
2016 – First Navio-Smith & Nephew Total Knee Replacement performed by Dr. Green.
2016 – First INSPIRE Sleep Apnea Implant Procedure performed by Dr. Hanson.
2016 – Milestone: 300,000 total cases!
2018 – Operating Rooms 7 and 8 are remodeled to accommodate total joint (robotics) and ophthalmology caseload.
We recently sat down with Dr. Trevor McIver and Dr. Joel Shobe, spine surgeons at St. Cloud Surgical Center, to ask a few burning questions about minimally invasive spine surgery. Read on for more information!
From 1996 to 2016, Americans spent an estimated $134.5 billion seeking help for back or neck pain. The cause for such pain? Longevity and lifestyle. While it’s great to see humans living longer, our bodies weren’t designed for such high life expectancy combined with a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy exercise habits. If you suddenly find yourself in a situation where you’re missing work, losing time with family, or simply not as active as you once were due to discomfort, St. Cloud Surgical Center can help.
Do You Need Spine Surgery?
At St. Cloud Surgical Center, we understand surgery may not always be the best route for patients. Sometimes, therapy, medication, and alternative methods can be beneficial. When it comes to back or neck pain, surgery may become necessary in cases such as disc herniation or bone spurs where a nerve is being pushed upon or pinched.
Whatever the reason for your pain, our highly skilled surgeons will find the cause and provide the best course of action. If surgery becomes your best option, the expertise and ongoing training of McIver, Shobe, and other surgeons at our center, will provide you with the most advanced surgical care available today.
Click here for more on spine procedures performed at St. Cloud Surgical Center.
Traditional Spine Surgery vs. Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
The main difference between traditional spine surgery and minimally invasive spine surgery is the recovery time. With minimally invasive procedures, patients can recover more quickly after surgery because they are faster, safer, and cause less trauma to muscles and soft tissues of the back. While the long-term benefits of traditional spine surgery and minimally invasive surgery are almost identical, the main difference comes in the weeks to months during the recovery period. Hear more about minimally invasive surgery and recovery from Dr. Trevor McIver.
Benefits of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
Along with quicker recovery times, minimally invasive spine surgery boasts many additional benefits, including:
Better cosmetic results due to smaller incisions
Less blood loss
Little to non-muscle cutting
Reduced risk of infection
Reduced risk of postoperative pain
Less time for rehab
We can attribute these benefits to the many technological advances that have been made in the last 30 years. Learn more about them from our very own Dr. Joel Shobe.
Next Steps For Relief
If you find yourself among the millions of people with back and neck pain who want solutions, St. Cloud Surgical Center is here for you. As innovative leaders with next-generation technology for spine treatment, our surgeons can safely and effectively perform even the most complex procedures that result in faster recovery times while spending less out-of-pocket.
