By: Neil Gifford—
Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for its hip and knee joint replacement programs by demonstrating compliance with the organization’s national standards for health care quality and safety in disease-specific care. This is the second knee and hip recertification for IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, which became the first in the IU Health system to earn the certification in 2011.
IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital underwent an on-site review where a Joint Commission expert evaluated the programs for compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patients and families, including infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management. The surveyor determined there were no requirements for improvement.
“The ability to achieve such high level of care and patient satisfaction is only possible due to the dedication and hard work put in daily by our joint replacement surgical team, which includes the highly skilled physicians of Central Indiana Orthopedics,” said Paula Tyler, service line leader of Neurology and Orthopedics at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital. “It is this team work that allows us to be a center of excellence in total hip and knee replacement surgery.”
The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification Program launched in 2002, and is designed to evaluate clinical programs across the continuum of care. Certification requirements address three core areas: compliance with consensus-based national standards; effective use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care; and an organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities.
“In achieving Joint Commission certification, IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients undergoing knee or hip joint replacement,” said Jean Range, MS, RN, CPHQ executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, The Joint Commission. “Certification is a voluntary process and I commend IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves.”
About Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital
IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital serves as a tertiary referral center and teaching hospital for East Central Indiana and part of Indiana University Health. IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission and maintains 1.2 million square feet of facilities. More than 17,000 patients are admitted every year and 310,000 outpatient procedures are completed annually. Michael Haley is President and CEO. Learn more at iuhealth.org/ball-memorial.
