One of the hardest decisions to make when it comes to joint replacement surgery — beyond whether or not to have one — is where to undergo the surgery.
Tanner Ortho and Spine Center and Carrollton Orthopaedic Clinic is making the choice a little easier for residents in west Georgia and east Alabama, now that the center has now earned a gold seal of accreditation from The Joint Commission’s Disease-specific Care Certification program.
Launched in 2002, The Joint Commission’s Disease-specific Care Certification program is designed to evaluate clinical programs 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.
“A lot of effort went into achieving this certification from clinical and leadership staff here at Tanner and the orthopedic specialists at Carrollton Orthopaedic Clinic,” said Loy Howard, president and CEO of Tanner Health System. “Many of the processes The Joint Commission evaluated were already in place, while others were carefully implemented to ensure we’re providing the highest standard of care to our knee and hip replacement patients.”
The accreditation process involved an intensive on-site review that analyzed the center’s ability to use clinical outcomes and other performance measures to improve care, the commitment of Tanner Ortho and Spine Center’s leadership to improving the quality of care for patients and how the facility prepares patients and caregivers for recovery after the procedure.
Surveyors from The Joint Commission — the largest, most respected accreditor of hospitals and healthcare facilities in the nation — examined Tanner’s process for caring for knee and hip replacement patients before surgery, during the procedure and after discharge from the hospital. They also evaluated how well Tanner Ortho and Spine Center’s patient care team used evidence-based practices to bolster outcomes and improve patient satisfaction, ensuring that patients received the most advanced standard of care.
"In achieving Joint Commission certification, Tanner Ortho and Spine Center has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients undergoing knee or hip replacement," said Jean Range, RN, CPHQ, executive director of the Disease-specific Care Certification program at The Joint Commission. “Certification is a voluntary process and I commend Tanner for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves.”
Gregory Slappey, MD, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with Carrollton Orthopaedic Clinic and a member of the patient care team at Tanner Ortho and Spine Center, said the accreditation helps area residents make better healthcare decisions.
“It validates that our level of orthopedic care is on par with anyone else in the nation,” said Dr. Slappey. “And we’re able to offer it right here in our region. When deciding where to undergo a procedure of this magnitude, this accreditation should help put people at ease in choosing Tanner.”
Anthony Colpini, MD, also a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with Carrollton Orthopaedic Clinic and a member of the patient care team at Tanner Ortho and Spine Center, echoed that sentiment.
“We’re committed to maintaining the highest level of patient care,” said Dr. Colpini. “We’re going to keep our patients safer and ensure they have better care than they’d receive at other facilities. That’s a tremendous comfort for patients and their loved ones.”
For more information on the orthopedic services available at Tanner, visit www.TannerOrtho.org.