Contact:
Jason Merrill
314-286-0302
[email protected]
ST. LOUIS – Barnes-Jewish Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™ for its hip and knee joint replacement program by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety in disease-specific care.
Barnes-Jewish and their physician partners at Washington University Orthopedics underwent a rigorous on-site survey in September as a team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patients and families, including infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management.
“The Center of Excellence designation is recognition of our longstanding, high quality hip and knee replacement program,” says Richard Gelberman, MD, chairman of Washington University Orthopedics. “This also underscores our renewed focus and commitment to innovation and outstanding patient care throughout the entire process of hip and knee replacement surgery. Our unique, multidisciplinary team is ideal for delivering world class care to the growing population of hip and knee replacement patients.”
The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification Program, launched in 2002, is designed to evaluate clinical programs – such as hip and knee replacement – across the continuum of care. Certification requirements address three core areas: compliance with consensus-based national standards; effective use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care; and an organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities.
“In collaboration with our Washington University orthopedic surgeons, we have structured a dedicated healthcare team focused on improving and maintaining orthopedic excellence from their first contact with the hospital through to the patient's successful discharge,” says Jon Bettale, BSN, MBA, director of surgical services and psychiatry at Barnes-Jewish. “Our staff works diligently to provide excellent, compassionate care everyday and it is with great pride that they have been able to achieve this certification.”
The Joint Commission, founded in 1951, evaluates and accredits more than 18,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. The Joint Commission also provides certification of more than 1,700 disease-specific care programs, primary stroke centers, and health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.