Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Somerset, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, has received recertification by The Joint Commission, the nation’s largest health accreditation agency, for total hip and total knee replacement surgery, earning its Gold Seal of Approval.
The recertification came after an onsite review of the hospital’s compliance with disease-specific care standards for total hip and total knee replacement. It is the hospital’s sixth consecutive Joint Commission Certification for total hip and knee replacement surgery since 2012.
“To consistently meet the Joint Commission’s high standards of excellence for the past 22 years demonstrates the expertise of the multi-disciplinary team who cares for our joint surgery patients,” said Patrick Delaney, Chief Administrative Officer, RWJUH Somerset. “We are committed to ensuring the best experience for our patients from pre-operative education through their surgery and recovery.”
“The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval assures our community of the quality clinical care we provide for total hip and total knee replacement patients,” said orthopedic surgeon Stephen Kayiaros, MD, who is Medical Director of RWJUH Somerset’s Joint Surgery Program. “Our goal is to get our patients back to their normal activities and doing what they love without being limited by joint pain.”
RWJUH Somerset’s Joint Surgery Program offers a comprehensive approach to care, including pre-operative education, rehabilitation that begins on the day of surgery, an opioid-free pain relief system and a joint care coordinator, a certified orthopedic nurse who facilitates all aspects of a patient’s care. The program’s nurses and therapists are specially trained in caring for patients who have undergone total knee or hip surgery.
The hospital is building a new two-story vertical expansion, which will include an Orthopedic Center of Excellence, a 35-bed inpatient unit with all-private rooms and a rehabilitation gym. The project is expected to be completed this fall.
Among its surgical services is the anterior approach to total hip replacement surgery, a tissue-sparing alternative to traditional hip replacement surgery that provides the potential for less pain, faster recovery and improved mobility. RWJUH Somerset is one of only two hospitals in New Jersey to earn a 5-star rating by Healthgrades for hip replacement surgery.
The hospital offers physical therapy services on-site as well as at four other locations in Bridgewater, Flemington, Hillsborough and Princeton.
For more information about joint replacement surgery at RWJUH Somerset, visit rwjbh.org/somerset.
