Yale New Haven Hospital is the only hospital in the United States with all major certifications at the highest levels for musculoskeletal care

YNHH also awarded advanced certification for total hip and knee replacement from the Joint Commission

New Haven, CT (March 20, 2018) – Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) has recently earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement and for Certification for Hip Fracture. As a result, YNHH now has the highest level certification for all the major orthopedic services including Total Hip Arthroplasty, Total Knee Arthroplasty, Hip Fracture, Spine Surgery, and Shoulder Surgery – the only such hospital in the nation.

To achieve these certifications and the recognition as Centers of Excellence, YNHH underwent rigorous onsite review processes. The Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with disease-specific care standards for each of the programs.

“We are very proud to receive advanced certification from The Joint Commission,” said Mary O’Connor, MD, director, Center for Musculoskeletal Care at Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale Medicine and professor of orthopedics and rehabilitation at the Yale School of Medicine. “We are the first and only hospital in the U.S. with all major certifications at the highest levels for musculoskeletal care and this reflects the great work being done by our entire team to provide the best care for our patients. We have always been leaders in musculoskeletal care and this certification validates our efforts.”

The advanced certification for Total Hip and Knee Replacement is for Joint Commission-accredited hospitals seeking to elevate the quality, consistency and safety of their services and patient care. The entire episode of care is evaluated across the continuum from the physicians’ initial consultation to the post-surgical 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.

“Achieving Advanced Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement Certification recognizes Yale New Haven Hospital’s commitment to provide care in a safe and efficient manner for patients,” said Patrick Phelan, executive director, Hospital Business Development, The Joint Commission. “The advanced certification designation helps provide the finest coordinated and comprehensive care to patients undergoing a total hip or total knee replacement.”

The Joint Commission Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.

Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH), part of Yale New Haven Health, is a nationally recognized, 1,541-bed, not-for-profit hospital serving as the primary teaching hospital for the Yale School of Medicine (YSM). Founded as the fourth voluntary hospital in the U.S. in 1826, today, YNHH has two New Haven-based campuses, and also includes Yale New Haven Children's Hospital, Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital and Smilow Cancer Hospital. YNHH has received Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the nation’s highest honor of nursing excellence. YNHH has a combined medical staff of about 4,500 university and community physicians practicing in more than 100 specialties. www.ynhh.org