Hartford HealthCare St. Vincent’s Medical Center was recently designated as a Center of Excellence in hip fracture by The Joint Commission. The certification follows a rigorous review by The Joint Commission, an independent organization dedicated to improving healthcare for the public.
“Our recent recognition and certification by The Joint Commission means that we’ve built a collaborative system or framework which will provide our hip fracture patients the best possible outcomes,” said David Martin, MD, orthopedic surgeon and director of hip fracture program at the Connecticut Orthopaedic Institute at St. Vincent’s Medical Center. “Breaking a hip can be quite devastating and we want to do everything possible to return patients to their normal life.”
Receiving designation from The Joint Commission as a Center for Excellence in hip fracture demonstrates that the Connecticut Orthopaedic Institute at St. Vincent’s Medical Center is treating hip fracture patients with the highest quality of care. St. Vincent’s is meeting or exceeding national benchmarks, including emergency department arrival to operating room time for surgical repair, with an average currently below the national standard, which improves patient outcomes. This program is a model for multidisciplinary care, requiring collaboration between the emergency department, orthopaedic surgeons, perioperative, anesthesia, hospitalists, nurses and rehab teams. The Connecticut Orthopaedic Institute at St. Vincent’s Medical Center is a destination for orthopedic trauma for patients in Fairfield County.
“I am so proud of the team from the Connecticut Orthopedic Institute,” said William M. Jennings, president of Hartford HealthCare Fairfield Region. “The way they have worked together, focusing persistently on the patient has led to a standard of care which makes our entire region better and safer.”
Every year over 300,000 people 65 and older in the United States are hospitalized for hip fractures. Most hip fractures occur in the home because of a slip or fall.