Miriam earns certification for joint-replacement program

The Miriam Hospital, which operates the state’s busiest joint replacement surgery program, said its Total Joint Center received the highest level of certification from the Joint Commission for its hip and knee replacement surgeries.

Total Joint Center Program Director Dr. John A. Froehlich said the designation culminates work that began when the center launched in 2011.

“This says we’re doing it right not just by our standards, but by the highest national standards,” Froehlich told PBN. “This says we are we are taking care of patients based on the evidence-based clinical practice guidelines but also doing so in an organized and integrated approach not just for the performance of the surgeries but care of the entire patient.”

Since the Joint Center launched, The Miriam has become the busiest joint-replacement hospital in the state, Froelich said. Last year, more than 1,300 joint replacement procedures were performed at the hospital, compared to 700 in 2011, the year the center opened.

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Several trends will continue to drive growth in joint replacement procedures, Froelich said, including improvements in technology that enable replacements to be done on younger patients, and a desire among the aging baby boom generation to extend their quality of life as long as possible.

“The need for joint replacement is growing at a substantial rate,” he said.

Earning the Gold Seal designation required an on-site review that evaluated its compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patients and families, including infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management.

The Joint Commission, an independent, nonprofit organization, is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.

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