Area residents have come to expect Medical Excellence ^SM at Jefferson Regional Medical Center. The Jefferson Regional Orthopedic Institute has earned three recent distinctions for its high standards of quality care.

Highmark Blue Distinction Center™

The Joint Care Center, a division of The Orthopedic Institute, has been designated

a Highmark Blue Distinction Center™ for total knee and total hip replacement surgery.

“This designation from Highmark is awarded only to those facilities that have demonstrated an objective commitment to quality care, resulting in better overall outcomes for patients who undergo knee and hip replacement procedures,” says Janet Cipullo, vice president, Professional and Orthopedic Services.

To become a Highmark Blue Distinction Center™, The Joint Care Center qualified against a long list of clinical criteria from emergency care and accreditation by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to pre-operative patient education and processes that support transitions in patient care.

At Jefferson Regional, multi-disciplinary teams have always coordinated patient care before, during and after surgery. This practice was a key factor in earning the designation from Highmark Blue Cross. In addition, the program is led by an experienced team of nearly two dozen surgeons with board certification and subspecialty fellowship training that includes sports medicine.

The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval™

The Jefferson Regional Orthopedic Institute earned the The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval™ for joint replacement. This certification process required rigorous assessment in three areas:

• Compliance with national standards and safety goals

• Use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and 

   optimize care

• An organized approach to performance measurement and improvement

  activities.

In addition to this disease-specific certification, Jefferson Regional Medical Center is fully accredited by The Joint Commission. Joint Commission accreditation and certification are recognized nationwide as symbols of quality that reflect an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards.

Press Ganey Achievement

The Joint Care Center is ranked by its patient in the 99th percentile for patient satisfaction in western Pennsylvania, according to Press Ganey. “Achieving

such high patient satisfaction ratings is the result of efforts across all functional areas from Surgery and Physical Therapy to Food and Nutrition and Pharmacy,” says Cipullo.

“We’ve had our Maintenance team oiling squeaky wheels on food carts to minimize noise and our physicians take their time to communicate with the patients during rounds. This achievement truly represents the dedication and commitment to our patients by every person involved in orthopedic care at Jefferson Regional.”

Detailed selection criteria for Highmark Blue Distinction Centers™ are available to the public at www.BCBS.com/bluedistinction. Information about disease-specific certification programs is available at www.jointcommission.org .

The Jefferson Regional Orthopedic Institute features the Joint Care Center, Sports Medicine, a Spine Center and a Hand and Upper Extremity Center. A Foot and Ankle Center is in development. For information, call 412-469-5298.