Lancaster Physician Breaks Ground On New Office and Free Standing Surgery Center; Pioneer in Laser and Skin Cancer Surgery Expands With Growing Demand in Lancaster and Surrounding Counties; Fully Accredited Facility to Meet Standard of Hospital Care

Business Wire,  April 14, 2005  

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LANCASTER, Pa. -- Dr. Mark Hassel, a Lancaster dermasurgeon, broke ground on April 15, 2005 for a 14,000 square foot surgery center on Noll Drive between Rohrerstown Road and Good Drive, East Hempfield Township, Lancaster. Dr. Hassel said that he anticipates the $3 million facility will be completed during October of 2005.

The free standing surgical center, which will be called Noll Drive Surgery Center, will enable other physicians in the area to access its facilities. In addition, the new building will house Dr. Hassel's current dermasurgery practice, DermaSurgery Specialists P.C., which is now located on Harrisburg Avenue in downtown Lancaster.

The Noll Drive Surgery Center will be certified by the Pennsylvania State Department of Health, Medicare and the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) and will allow patients to choose from a broad range of anesthesia services necessary to complete their treatment including general anesthesia.

According to Dr. Hassel the Noll Drive Surgery Center will offer Lancaster area patients, "everything for dermasurgery under one roof - from Mohs micrographic skin cancer surgery and reconstructive surgeries to cosmetic procedures, such as skin peels, liposuction and laser treatment using the eight different skin lasers on the premises." He added that, "patients will have access to the latest technology, therapies and treatments in an atmosphere that is pleasant, attractive and cost-effective."

Dr. Hassel said that, "in addition to the surgical services available to our patients, The Center for Skin Wellness which is part of DermaSurgery Specialists, will be providing a broad range of aesthetic services such as microdermabrasion, facials, custom designing of therapeutic skin care regimens, and instruction on application of cosmetics for concealment of skin conditions. Our medical aesthetician, Arden Vernacchio, brings a wealth of experience to our patients in The Center for Skin Wellness."

Dr. Hassel said he believes that the Noll Drive Surgery Center makes a positive and important contribution to the healthcare infrastructure in Lancaster and the surrounding areas. "There is a need for patients to access a full range of anesthesia services in an outpatient setting. By adding this option to currently available services, we believe that we are opening up choices for patients and physicians in this area, and ultimately giving patients greater access to procedures which they may want or need."

Dr. Hassel is the only fellowship trained Mohs surgeon in Lancaster County. He brought this technique to Lancaster in 1991. "There is currently a worldwide epidemic of skin cancer. This new facility will enable us to keep pace with the demand for treatment of our patients with skin cancer. Mohs micrographic surgery allows us to remove skin cancer with as narrow a margin as is currently possible while simultaneously providing the highest available cure rate. The Mohs technique gives us more confidence when repairing the defect after removing the cancer and results in our patients having smaller defects to repair." More information about the Mohs micrographic surgery technique is available at the following website for the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology: http://www.mohscollege.org/

Dr. Hassel pioneered laser treatment for skin diseases in Lancaster by performing the first pulsed dye laser treatments for portwine stains in the central Pennsylvania area in 1991. "This innovative technique is based upon the principle of selective photothermolysis which is the same principle upon which all new lasers for treatment of cutaneous disease are based. We now have eight different lasers, each having a unique capability to treat skin conditions ranging from red and brown birthmarks to unwanted leg and face veins, scar revision, hair removal for both light and dark skin types, facial skin rejuvenation, facial skin tightening, age spot removal and tattoo removal." More information on laser and light source based medicine is available at the following website for the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery: http://www.aslms.org/

The Noll Drive parcel on which the facility will be built offers room for additional future development. Current plans are for a separate 15,000 square foot medical office building which will be available for lease by area physicians.

Initially, the Noll Drive Surgery Center will be managed by Dr. Hassel's current staff which numbers 11 professionals and administrators. He said that at full capacity the Center could employ as many as 30 medical professionals and support staff.

Dr. Hassel said the project has been on the drawing board for approximately three years. "One of the most challenging aspects of bringing the surgery center to life," he said, "was developing the project so that it could meet the state's licensing requirements for a hospital facility. As our Pennsylvania Department of Health approval attests, we have met these design standards, and the beneficiaries are all of the patients in the Lancaster area who can be sure they will receive the same standard of care that is available from a hospital."