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Lakeland Certified by Joint Commission for Hip & Knee Replacement
Sep 24, 2018

(ST. JOSEPH) – The Joint Commission recently awarded Lakeland Health with certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacements. Certification, awarded for a two-year period, helps organizations develop consistent communication and collaboration among all health care providers involved in the care of the patient – including pre-surgical consultation with the orthopedic surgeon, intraoperative care, hospitalization or admission, rehabilitation activities, and follow-up visits.

“We are pleased to receive accreditation from The Joint Commission as it is a symbol of quality that reflects our commitment to providing safe and effective patient care,” added Kenneth Edwards, MD, orthopedic surgeon and Medical Director of Surgical Services. “The orthopedic quality and safety metrics at Lakeland compare well with some of the most highly regarded hospitals in the nation. Patients can be confident they are receiving the highest quality of care without ever having to travel outside of southwest Michigan.”

In order to achieve certification, Lakeland Health underwent a rigorous, onsite survey during which a team of Joint Commission surveyors evaluated compliance with hospital standards related to several areas of orthopedic care including surgical site infection rates, fall rates, enhanced patient education, length of stay, early ambulation, and pain management.

“Joint Commission accreditation provides hospitals with the processes needed to improve in a variety of areas from the enhancement of staff education to the improvement of daily business operations,” said Mark G. Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Division of Accreditation and Certification Operations, The Joint Commission. “In addition, our accreditation helps hospitals enhance their risk management and risk reduction strategies. We commend Lakeland Health for its efforts to become a quality improvement organization.”

The Joint Commission has accredited hospitals for more than 60 years. More than 4,000 general, children’s, long-term acute, psychiatric, rehabilitation and specialty hospitals currently maintain accreditation from The Joint Commission. In addition, approximately 360 critical access hospitals maintain accreditation through a separate program.