St. Luke’s Hospital earns special Joint Commission award for joint replacement program
August 29, 2008
St. Luke’s Hospital's commitment to excellence in hip and knee replacement was recently awarded the Gold Seal of Approval and Disease-Specific Certification from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, which sets standards by which healthcare quality is measured in America.
In addition to its certifications in hip and knee replacement, St. Luke’s is also Joint Commission Disease-Specific certified in stroke and heart failure.
These certifications are an award of distinction that recognizes a program for its exceptional efforts in treating a specific disease. To earn these certifications a hospital program must undergo an extensive, on-site evaluation every two years by a team of Joint Commission reviewers. Evaluation and certification are based on an assessment of compliance with national standards, use of clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care, and an organized approach to performance measurement and improvement.
"Certification is proof positive of St. Luke’s exemplary standards and practices in joint replacement treatments and procedures," said Ted Townsend, CEO and president of St. Luke’s Hospital. "Receiving this certification means that patients can trust that our program offers the most advanced technology and is approved by a national accrediting organization."
In 2002, The Joint Commission launched its disease-specific care certification program. It is the first program of its kind in the country to certify disease management programs. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States, including nearly 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,800 other healthcare organizations that provide long term care. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare. Learn more about the Joint Commission at jointcommission.org.
St. Luke’s is a fully accredited 560-bed hospital serving a five-county area surrounding Cedar Rapids. Founded in 1884 as Cedar Rapids’ first hospital, today it offers a wide range of patient care services with strengths in cardiac care, obstetrics, neonatology, pediatrics, rehabilitation, behavioral health, general surgery, trauma care and senior services. St. Luke's is a Top 100 Hospital Heart Hospital. Learn more about St. Luke’s at stlukescr.org.
MEDIA CONTACT: Sarah Corizzo, St. Luke’s Hospital, 319/369-8372 or 319/560-2385.
