title: Development of a center of excellence for joint replacement.
abstract: The annual number of total hip and knee replacements roughly doubled between 1994 and 2004, and this trend is projected to continue. These surgical patients are often older and many have special postsurgical care and rehabilitation needs. However, historically they have been incorporated into the general orthopaedic patient population. The development of centers of excellence in joint replacement has become one method for meeting the special needs of this population. This article describes the journey one midwestern healthcare system has taken in establishing a consolidated, specialized joint replacement center, which has received the Joint Commission's Disease-Specific Care Certification for hip and knee replacement. Specific steps in the development of the center, implementation, evaluation and outcomes, and lessons learned are described.
authors.affiliation: Spectrum Health, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cress
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pelton
authors.forename: Steven C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Thayer
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bukrey
mesh_terms: D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D006268:Health Facilities / Q000592:standards; D058016:Health Facility Administration; D006801:Humans; D007591:Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; D009729:Nursing; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010934:Planning Techniques; D016730:Program Development; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012046:Rehabilitation; D014481:United States