Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center Awarded Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement Certification from The Joint Commission and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons

Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Advanced Total Hip and Knee 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 certification, in collaboration with the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, focuses on the pre-surgical orthopedic consultation to the intraoperative, hospitalization or ambulatory surgical center admission, rehabilitation activities, and follow-up visit with the orthopedic surgeon.

Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center underwent a rigorous review in the late fall of 2021. During the review, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with related certification standards including improving patient outcomes, establishing a consistent approach to care resulting in reduced variation and risk of error, developing a pathway to excellence, collaborating with teams across the continuum of care, and demonstrating commitment to a higher standard of clinical service. Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewers also conducted observations and interviews.

“Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement Certification recognizes health care organizations committed to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for orthopedic patients.”

“At Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, we take great pride in providing high-quality care and excellent clinical outcomes, which help our patients quickly return to their active lives,” said Ian Katz, MD, FRCSC, board-certified orthopedic surgeon and Chairman of Orthopedics. “With an integrated team to provide pre-operative education through post-operative rehabilitation, we provide the highest levels of care and support to our patients through every step of their journey.”
Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center was awarded with advanced certification which improves quality patient care, provides a framework for the hospital’s program structure and management, and strengthens the community’s confidence in quality and safety of care, treatment, and services.

For more information, please visit The Joint Commission website.