Bone and Joint Hospital at St. Anthony in Oklahoma City: Specialized Orthopedic Surgery Without Buying a Separate Facility
A dedicated orthopedic hospital within the Saint Anthony hospital system, Bone and Joint Hospital serves Oklahoma City patients who need joint replacement, spine surgery, trauma care, and other bone and ligament procedures in a setting built specifically for those specialties rather than as one department among many.
What Bone and Joint Hospital actually is
Bone and Joint Hospital at St. Anthony is a 100-bed specialty hospital located on the main Saint Anthony campus in central Oklahoma City. It operates as a distinct facility within a larger Catholic health system, meaning patients admitted here access orthopedic surgeons, anesthesiologists, operating rooms, and inpatient beds configured for recovery from joint and spine procedures. Unlike general hospitals where orthopedic patients share recovery floors with cardiac and trauma units, this facility consolidates the staff, equipment, and floor design around a single surgical specialty. The hospital accepts insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid, and functions as both an operating suite for scheduled procedures and an inpatient setting for patients who cannot go home the same day.
Services and pricing structure
Bone and Joint Hospital handles joint replacements (hip, knee, shoulder), arthroscopic repairs (rotator cuff, meniscus), spinal fusion and decompression, fracture repair, ACL reconstruction, and elbow and ankle reconstruction. Most procedures are scheduled rather than emergency, though the facility receives trauma cases involving orthopedic injury through the Saint Anthony emergency system.
Out-of-pocket cost depends on insurance type and deductible. Self-pay patients should expect to pay 30 to 50 percent of the hospital facility fee if uninsured (verify current rates with the hospital financial counselor, as these change). A knee replacement facility fee ranges from $15,000 to $25,000 depending on complexity; a hip replacement facility fee runs similar. These figures cover the operating room, anesthesia, nursing, and bed but do not include the surgeon's fee, which comes from the doctor's office. Patients should contact their surgeon's office for that portion and the hospital billing department for facility charges before surgery.
Insurance verification is critical: call the billing department at least two weeks before a scheduled procedure to confirm what your plan covers, your deductible status, and whether pre-authorization is required.
How Bone and Joint Hospital compares to other Oklahoma City options
Oklahoma City has no other dedicated orthopedic hospital. Patients can choose between Bone and Joint Hospital (specialty-focused, all staff trained in orthopedic care, lower hospital mortality for joint replacement) or general hospitals such as OU Medical Center, Mercy Oklahoma City, or Integris Baptist Medical Center, where orthopedic patients share recovery units with other specialties. A specialty hospital typically means shorter average length of stay, fewer medication errors in orthopedic recovery, and staff attuned to joint-replacement complications. A general hospital offers the advantage of treating complications in other body systems (cardiac, pulmonary) on-site without transfer.
Choose Bone and Joint Hospital if you have a straightforward orthopedic procedure and want a focused recovery environment. Choose a general hospital if you have multiple chronic conditions (heart disease, diabetes, lung disease) that might require cross-specialty care during your stay.
Who it suits and who it does not suit
This hospital suits patients with isolated bone, joint, or spine injury or disease who do not have serious comorbidities and expect same-day discharge or overnight observation. It is ideal for elective joint replacement or arthroscopic repair in otherwise healthy people and for straightforward fracture repair.
It is less suitable for trauma patients with multiple injuries (head, chest, abdominal) requiring a trauma center with neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and critical care all under one roof; those patients are treated at OU Medical Center or Mercy. It is also less ideal for elderly patients with heart failure, renal disease, or pulmonary issues that may deteriorate during a joint surgery; they benefit from a full-service hospital.
What the first visit involves
If your surgeon has already scheduled your procedure at Bone and Joint Hospital, the hospital will contact you by phone or mail 7 to 10 days before surgery with a pre-op appointment time. You will come to the hospital campus to meet with nursing, anesthesia, and a financial counselor. Bring your insurance card, photo ID, a list of all medications and supplements, and any recent lab work. Anesthesia will ask about drug allergies, family history of anesthesia complications, sleep apnea, and dental work (because anesthesia airway placement can chip teeth). The financial counselor will review your bill estimates and discuss payment plans or assistance programs if you are uninsured or underinsured.
If you do not yet have a surgeon, call Saint Anthony's orthopedic referral line or ask your primary-care doctor for a referral. Most of the orthopedic surgeons on the Bone and Joint Hospital roster will admit their elective patients here, though some operate at multiple facilities.
Hours, parking, and logistics
Bone and Joint Hospital operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but elective operating rooms typically run from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Patients are instructed to arrive 2 hours before a scheduled procedure for check-in, labs, and pre-op prep.
Parking is available in a multilevel garage adjacent to the main Saint Anthony campus, at no charge for patients. Walking distance from the garage to the hospital entrance is about 200 feet.
Most inpatient stays last one night for uncomplicated joint replacement; some patients go home the same day. Physical therapy begins the day of surgery or the next morning. Confirm your expected discharge date with your surgeon in advance.
Why this place earns its spot in Oklahoma City
Bone and Joint Hospital fills a specific gap: patients in Oklahoma City who want a dedicated orthopedic facility without traveling to Dallas or Kansas City now have one, staffed by surgeons trained to handle routine and complex bone procedures with efficiency and lower complication rates than general hospitals report for the same procedures.
