San Antonio Regional Hospital has been awarded The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Advanced Certification in Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement. The hospital earned the advanced accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with The Joint Commission’s performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care.

The certification, in collaboration with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, focuses on the entire total knee or total hip replacement process for patients. It includes presurgical orthopedic consultation, the intraoperative surgical procedure, hospitalization, rehabilitation activities, and follow-up visits with the orthopedic surgeon.

San Antonio underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review on October 1-2, 2019. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with related certification standards including program management, supporting self-management, and delivering and facilitating clinical care.

“As a private accreditor, The Joint Commission surveys health care organizations to protect the public by identifying deficiencies in care and working with those organizations to correct the as quickly and sustainably as possible,” says Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend San Antonio Regional Hospital for its continuous quality improvement efforts in patient safety and quality of care.”

“Caring for a patient who is undergoing a total hip or total knee replacement is truly a team effort,” remarked John Chapman, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, San Antonio Regional Hospital. “It takes a multi-disciplinary staff of orthopedic surgeons, specially trained nurses, physical therapists, and other clinical staff to ensure the best outcomes. “I congratulate our entire team for their efforts as they work together to provide a high standard of orthopedic care for our community.”

For more information, please visit jointcommission.org.