MultiCare Valley Hospital earns Washington first from Joint Commission

By MultiCare Health System

MultiCare Valley Hospital announced that it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement, the first and only hospital in the state of Washington to earn this designation.

On Nov. 8, 2017, the Joint Commission evaluated MultiCare Valley Hospital’s compliance with advanced disease-specific care standards for total hip and total knee replacement requirements, including orthopedic consultation and pre-operative, intraoperative and post-surgical orthopedic follow-up care.

Established in 2016 and awarded for a two-year period, the advanced certification was developed in response to the growing number of patients undergoing a total hip or total knee replacement surgery, as well as the increased focus on clinical evidence-based patient care as it relates to pain management, quality of life issues, functional limitation in mobility and the return to normal daily activities.

Jon Keeve, MD, Medical Director of the Valley Hospital Hip and Knee Replacement Program commented, “Patient, nurse and physician collaboration and consistent quality care are keys to achieving this advanced certification. Best practices and patient data guide our continual improvement. Our program coordinator, Holly Payne, deserves a lot of credit for guiding our efforts year after year to the achievements we celebrate today.”

According to a recent survey, MultiCare Valley Hospital’s hip and knee patients are spending a full day less than the national average in the hospital and have an 89 percent patient satisfaction score, 18 percent above the national average.

“We take great pride in the care that we provide for our patients. We are honored to receive this designation and it exemplifies that high quality of care we provide for our patients,” explained MultiCare Valley Hospital President Greg Repetti. “It’s important for us to provide excellent care that puts our patients back on their feet in good health.”