By Liz Yates—
MUNCIE, IN—The Orthopedics team at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital has worked diligently to receive the “Joint Replacement Excellence AwardTM” for 2023 from Healthgrades. This designation makes IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital one of only six hospitals in Indiana to win this award and also puts the hospital among the top 10% in the United States for joint replacement.
Healthgrades takes a lot into consideration when it comes to awarding hospitals with this designation, including being evaluated and categorized, by patients, into one of three performance categories: Better Than Expected, As Expected, or Worse Than Expected, for both knee and hip replacements. Healthgrades then assesses both procedures based on any in-hospital complications. Those hospitals that have high performance scores and low in-hospital complications rise to the top of the list and receive this “Excellence” award.
“Many physicians, nurses, and staff have worked so hard to build and maintain the joint replacement program for years,” states Rory Sandberg, MD, an Orthopedic Surgeon at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital who specializes in hip and knee replacements, “it’s good for the team to see that work pay off as we are now considered a top hospital for this specialty. We are honored to see that our patients appreciate the work that we do as much as we appreciate them for choosing us!”
“We are so proud of the hardworking team we have here,” adds Julie Painter, service line leader for Orthopedics and Neuroscience Services at IU Health Ball, “as they work to treat each of our patients as a whole person and not just their symptom. This patient-centric approach has not gone unnoticed as we are now able to add this ‘Joint Replacement Excellence Award’ from Healthgrades to our growing list of accomplishments.”
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. It is part of an elite group of hospitals with Magnet designation for nursing excellence. More than 17,700 patients are admitted every year and more than 300,000 outpatient procedures are completed annually. Jeff Bird, MD, is President. Learn more at iuhealth.org/ball-memorial.
