Atlantic General Hospital's Joint Surgery Center Awarded Total Hip, Knee and Shoulder Replacement Certification From the Joint Commission

Atlantic General Hospital’s Joint Surgery Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^® for Total Hip, Knee and Shoulder Replacement Certification by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care.

The voluntary certification, offered in collaboration with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, focuses on the entire continuum of care, from pre-surgical orthopedic consultation to the intraoperative hospitalization or ambulatory surgical center admission, rehabilitation activities, and follow-up visit with the orthopedic surgeon.

The Joint Surgery Center underwent a rigorous onsite review on November 9 and 10. During the visit, a Joint Commission reviewer evaluated compliance with related certification standards as well as documented performance improvement efforts.

Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewer also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

“We’re incredibly pleased to receive these certifications from the Joint Commission for our joint replacement program,” said Mandy Bounds, DNP, RN, CCRN, CPHQ, vice president of patient care services/chief nursing officer at Atlantic General Hospital. “The awards validate the exceptional care provided by the physicians, nurses, clinicians, and support staff in the care of joint patients in our surgical program. On top of that, the guidelines established by the Joint Commission standards will help us remain consistent in our efforts to become a high reliability organization and achieve excellence in quality, safety, and our patient experience.”

“Total Hip and Knee Replacement Certification and Total Shoulder Replacement Certification recognize healthcare organizations committed to striving for excellence and fostering continuous improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Ken Grubbs, DNP, MBA, RN, executive vice president of accreditation and certification operations and chief nursing officer for The Joint Commission. “We commend Atlantic General Hospital and its staff at the Joint Surgery Center for using The Joint Commission certification process to reduce variation in clinical processes and to strengthen its clinical program to drive safer, higher quality and more compassionate care for individuals served.”

For more information, please visit The Joint Commission website.