Ophthalmologist Moss Fenberg takes patient care seriously, managing details of intravenous medicine down to the last drop.

So, when given the opportunity, he opened an outpatient medical infusion center. And on Sept. 22, Durango Infusion Center opened its doors to patients at 270 E. Eighth Ave., Suite N-101.

Medical infusion therapy involves administering medications intravenously rather than orally. Fenberg said often patients an IV method if they cannot take medicine orally or if an oral medication is less effective.

Although people typically think of medical infusion as a form of chemotherapy, the Durango Infusion Center focuses on biologic medical infusion to deal with disorders such as Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis or arthritis.

The Eighth Avenue office has four separate infusion bays and two private infusion bays. Each bay has a cushioned chair with an IV drip. The private bays offer a space where patients can have their own space and enough space for patients who bring children, friends or family with them.

Durango Infusion Center is the only outpatient medical infusion center in La Plata County. Before it opened, most people had to go to Mercy Hospital to receive medical infusion treatment. Infusions at an inpatient facility can be overcrowded and more expensive.

“When you’re a hospital, you’re allowed to charge insurances double the price,” Fenberg said.

He said this is often the case because hospitals have an obligation to care for everyone regardless of whether they have insurance or pay their bills, causing hospitals to charge more for care to cover the amount lost on patients who don’t pay.

“It’s like surgery in a hospital versus surgery at an outpatient surgical center. It’s exactly the same concept. It’s going to cost you less and across the whole system less (for outpatient care),” Fenberg said.

As an outpatient center, Durango Infusion Center contracts with insurance companies and can moderate prices at a reasonable rate.

Fenberg said this is partially a result of an unsaturated market for outpatient infusion centers in the area.

For some disorders such as thyroiditis, medical infusion is the only effective treatment, according to Fenberg.

“A lot of times, other drugs actually get broken down by your digestive system, or they get broken down by antibodies within your central venous tissue, and there’s no way to get it to the site directly,” Fenberg said.

Some patients conduct medical infusion therapy at home, but he advocates for clinics because of the risk of medical reactions.

“You don’t want to do this necessarily at home because there can be infusion-related reactions like anaphylaxis or allergic reactions,” he said.

Infusion length varies based on how quickly the body absorbs the drug and how much the patient needs. Fenberg said some treatments last an hour; others, six to eight hours.

At the office, a physician assistant constantly monitors patients and checks on their well-being.

Sara Burcham is a physician assistant and infusion specialist at Durango Infusion Center. She has worked as a physician assistant for 13 years in family practice and urgent care.

“We’re small. So that’s always more patient-friendly,” Burcham said.

She added that a one-to-one interaction with patients builds trust and confidence.

“Every visit they come and get to see Sara. It’s a relationship. It’s not some nurse that's just passing through,” Fenberg said.

tbrown@durangoherald.com