Northern Light Mercy Hospital Joint Replacement and Spine Programs Earn National Recognition

Date: 01/20/2022

Northern Light Mercy Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for the care of patients undergoing spine surgery and hip and knee replacements. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care, including how clinical outcomes and performance measures are used to improve care and to help educate and prepare patients and caregivers for discharge. 

Mercy Hospital’s neurosurgical spine and orthopedic surgery services underwent a rigorous onsite review late last year. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with related certification standards, including program management, data collection, and the delivery and facilitation of high-quality surgical care. The reviewers also conducted onsite observations and interviews. 

“The hip and knee replacement and spine care certifications recognize health care organizations committed to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend Northern Light Mercy Hospital for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for orthopedic and spine surgery patients.”

Over the years, The Joint Commission certification process has led to numerous advances in the patient experience at Mercy Hospital, including an improved pain management program, a near elimination of blood product usage, the development of comprehensive patient education offerings, and the reduction of readmissions and emergency room visits. These efforts have highlighted the commitment of Mercy Hospital to deliver safe, high quality neurosurgical spine and orthopedic surgical care in the community. 

For more information, please visit The Joint Commission website.