PREPARE Center, Hartford HealthCare HealthCenter - Farmington

PREPARE Center

We Ensure You’ll Be Ready for Your Orthopedic Surgery

When orthopedic surgery is required, we get you physically and mentally ready through our PREPARE program (Procedure Related Education and Pre-Anesthesia Risk Evaluation). This special program educates you completely so you know what to expect at every step of your treatment. The PREPARE program is available in both our Farmington and Glastonbury locations, and includes a complete pre-operative medical risk assessment. Patients complete the program within 30 days of their procedure.

First, a registered nurse contacts you by phone to ask about your medical history. Answers are confidential and will not be shared outside your healthcare team. You'll be asked things like:

• Do you have a health diagnosis such as diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure?
• Are you taking any medications?
• How is your general health?
• How well are you walking?

Then, your 90-minute visit to a PREPARE Center is scheduled. Based on your medical history, you may also be advised to visit a specialist physician before your surgery. For example, if you have a cardiologist (heart doctor) or pulmonologist (lung doctor) that you see routinely, additional testing may be required.

Learn more about the PREPARE Program

Your PREPARE Center Visit

You'll start by meeting with a nurse and a nurse practitioner or physician assistant. They'll give you complete instructions regarding your pre and post-operative medications. You'll also be taught about pre-operative procedures and learn about anesthesia. We encourage you to ask any questions you may have so we can set you totally at east.

Your PREPARE Center visit will also include a complete history and physical examination, blood work and an EKG. Our orthopedic specialists will also assess your airway and any sleep apnea concerns, to prepare you for anesthesia.

After your appointment, any required post-surgery medical equipment will be arranged. Twenty-four hours before your surgery, a nurse from the PREPARE Center will call you to check-in.

After Your Surgery

Following your hospital stay, you will most likely go home with services as necessary. You may be brought home by a family member or friend, or we can arrange a Wheelchair Van for you if needed.

While not commonly the case, some patients will need the services of a Skilled Nursing Facility once discharged. In those cases, transportation is arranged via Wheelchair Van (not typically covered by insurance) or ambulance (only paid for with a certificate of medical necessity).