The hip and knee total joint replacement program at University of Virginia Health System has earned certification by the Joint Commission, the national group that accredits hospitals and healthcare organizations.
According to the Joint Commission website, programs earn certification for their total joint replacement program by demonstrating compliance with national standards and “ effective and consistent use of appropriate, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines ” for patients undergoing hip or knee replacements. Programs receive certification following a site visit by a Joint Commission surveyor.
UVA’s three board-certified joint replacement surgeons – Thomas E. Brown, MD , James A. Browne, MD , and Quanjun Cui, MD – perform hundreds of joint replacements each year, drawing patients from Virginia and the mid-Atlantic region.
UVA’s surgeons use all of the latest techniques for joint replacement surgery, including minimally invasive and computer-assisted procedures. Following surgery, patients begin their recovery in a dedicated orthopaedic inpatient unit staffed by a treatment team that specializes in caring for orthopaedic and joint replacement patients.
Brown said the Joint Commission certification was earned through the combined efforts to provide high-quality care by a team that includes physicians, nurses, physical therapists, nurse care coordinators for joint replacement and physician assistants. “The nurse manager on our orthopaedic inpatient unit, Lauren Carey, was instrumental in making this happen,“ Brown said.
