Carilion Clinic Receives Second Gold Seal of Approval with Joint Commission for Total Hip and Knee Replacement
Roanoke, VA - September 1, 2009
Gold Seal recognizes ongoing focus on quality improvement
The inpatient orthopaedic unit at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital (CRMH) has earned the Gold Seal of Approval™ for healthcare quality once again. The Joint Commission recently awarded CRMH recertification for Disease Specific Care for Total Hip & Knee Replacements. Disease Specific certification is granted for a two year period. Initial certification was received in July of 2007.
“Every employee in the inpatient orthopaedic unit is dedicated and focused on providing the best care possible for joint replacement patients,” says Katherine Chalflinch, senior director of surgical and rehabilitation services at Carilion Clinic. “The Joint Commission inspires us to deliver the highest quality patient outcomes. We believe our approach to joint replacement care is exemplary and consistent with where we need to be.”
To earn this distinction, the orthopaedic team voluntarily underwent an extensive, on-site evaluation by a team of Joint Commission reviewers. The program was evaluated against Joint Commission standards through an assessment of the program’s processes, the program’s ability to evaluate and improve care within its own organization, and interviews with patients and staff. With this recertification, the orthopaedic team was able to develop new quality measures to be evaluated against. The new measures for the upcoming certification period are based on evolving clinical considerations.
The Roanoke campus of Carilion Clinic received Joint Commission hospital reaccreditation in March. The Joint Commission certifies and accredits more than 16,000 health care organizations and programs in the U.S. They launched its Disease-Specific Care Certification program in 2002, the first program of its kind in the country to certify disease management programs.
For more information about the Joint Commission accreditation programs, please visit www.jointcommission.org.
