Fall River, MA – Saint Anne’s Hospital’s Center for Orthopedic Excellence has announced that it has earned national Gold Seal of Approval^® certification by The Joint Commission for its knee and hip replacement program.

The first hospital in Bristol County and one of three in Massachusetts to earn this specific national certification, Saint Anne’s knee and hip replacement program underwent a rigorous on-site review in February 2015. A Joint Commission expert evaluated the program for compliance with national standards of surgical and anesthesia care specific to the needs of joint replacement patients, as well as nursing and rehabilitation therapy, patient satisfaction, care coordination after discharge, and patient outcomes.

It showed the hospital’s effective use of national standards and evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care, as well as an organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities.

Craig A. Jesiolowski, FACHE, president of Saint Anne’s Hospital, said that the Joint Commission’s certification of its knee and hip replacement program is recognition of the hospital’s commitment to provide the region’s finest orthopedic care.

“From our pre-surgical patient and family education classes, through our team’s advanced surgical, anesthesia and rehabilitation expertise, our joint replacement program has become known for high-quality, exceptional patient care,” said Jesiolowski. “This is due in very large part to the dedication of our surgeons and anesthesiologists, hospital staff, and home care partners who have worked together to provide a high-level program that is resulting in outcomes on a par with leading orthopedic centers in Boston.”

Saint Anne’s Hospital’s Center for Orthopedic Excellence: Award-winning clinical care with a personal touch

Saint Anne’s Center for Orthopedic Excellence offers advanced joint replacement options. In addition to providing the state’s first MAKOplasty^® robotic-assisted technology for partial knee resurfacing and total hip replacement, the program offers total knee replacement and direct anterior approach for total hip replacement. For qualified patients, procedures such as total knee, partial knee and total hip replacement also are available on an outpatient basis.

The orthopedic clinical team includes board-certified surgeons and anesthesiologists, registered nurses specializing in orthopedics, and physical and occupational therapists with advanced degrees. Patients and families participate in a pre-surgical education class to prepare for their surgical experience and are guided through the surgical planning and rehab process by an orthopedic nurse navigator dedicated to assisting joint replacement patients. Prospective patients also have access to a team of “orthopedic patient ambassadors,” experienced joint-replacement patients who are available to share their hospital experience, recovery and rehabilitation.

Saint Anne’s orthopedic program is the fastest growing in the area, with more than 28 percent growth in the past year. In addition to knee and hip replacement, the center’s orthopedic specialties include arthroscopic surgery, hand surgery, surgical and non-surgical sports medicine, orthopedic trauma, pediatric orthopedics, arm and shoulder surgery, and general orthopedics. Together, a staff of more than 30 orthopedic surgeons performs more than 5,000 orthopedic procedures annually at the hospital’s surgical facilities in Fall River, Dartmouth and Attleboro.

In addition to earning the Gold Seal for joint replacement, Saint Anne’s Hospital has earned related recognitions for excellence. Saint Anne’s is the first hospital in Bristol County to be designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement by Blue Cross Blue Shield continuously since 2011. Saint Anne’s also is the only hospital in the Greater Fall River-New Bedford area to be honored as a “Straight A’s Hospital” by The Leapfrog Group for consecutive “A” Hospital Safety Scores^SM since the program’s inception in 2012. The Hospital Safety Score^SM reflects how safe a hospital is for its patients.

About Saint Anne’s Hospital: Saint Anne’s Hospital is a community hospital with comprehensive inpatient, outpatient, and emergency care services, serving adults and children from southeastern Massachusetts and nearby Rhode Island at its main campus in Fall River and its community satellites. Founded in 1906 by the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation, Saint Anne's Hospital is a member of Steward Health Care System LLC, the largest community-based accountable care organization in New England. Saint Anne’s has been recognized time and again for quality, safety and service by such organizations as The Joint Commission, The Leapfrog Group, and Blue Cross Blue Shield.

About The Joint Commission: Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, nonprofit 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.

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