A Leader in Quality: Hartford HealthCare's Hartford Surgery Center Earns Dual Advanced Orthopedic Certification in Total Joint Replacement and Complex Spine Surgery: a First in Connecticut

AVON, Conn., July 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hartford HealthCare Hartford Surgery Center (HSC) has become the first ambulatory surgery center (ASC) in Connecticut, and one of only 10 in the nation to earn dual Advanced Orthopedic Certification in both Total Joint Replacement and Complex Spine Surgery, reaffirming Hartford HealthCare's national position as a leader in quality and safety.

Awarded by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), this prestigious certification recognizes ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) that demonstrate excellence across the entire continuum of orthopedic care including clinical quality, patient safety, surgical outcomes, and care coordination. "This dual certification reflects the unwavering commitment of our nurses, staff, and physicians to deliver the highest quality orthopedic care," said Cheryl Parent, RN, Administrator at HSC. "We are proud to be the first in the state and one of a select few in the country to achieve this level of recognition."

Founded in 2017, HSC is a joint venture ASC partnership with Hartford HealthCare, Orthopedic Associates of Hartford, and Constitution Surgery Alliance (CSA). The facility features five advanced operating rooms and offers a wide range of outpatient orthopedic services, including hand, shoulder, knee, foot and ankle procedures, complex spine surgeries, total joint replacements, and pain management treatments.

Achieving dual Advanced Orthopedic Certification in Total Joint Replacement and Complex Spine surgery at HSC underscores Hartford HealthCare's ongoing mission to bring innovative, accessible, and top-tier care to all. "We are redefining what's possible in outpatient surgery," said Raymond Sullivan, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon and Medical Director at HSC. By earning certification in both total joint replacement and complex spine, HSC has demonstrated its ability to deliver best-in-class clinical and patient safety outcomes for high-acuity, technically advanced surgeries in an ambulatory environment.

"We are doing what few others in the region, or the nation, are doing in an ambulatory setting," said Steve Zhou, MD, Orthopedic Spine Surgeon and board member at HSC. "Spinal fusions, including robotics along with other high-acuity cases are safely and successfully performed here thanks to a team-based approach and the use of the latest innovations in outpatient surgery."

"This is a landmark achievement for outpatient orthopedic care in Connecticut," said Pietro Memmo, MD, President, Orthopedic Associates of Hartford. "Our teams at HSC are not only pioneering complex procedures like spinal fusions and joint replacements in the ambulatory setting, but they're also delivering personalized, data-driven care that sets a new standard for excellence across the country."

About Hartford HealthCare

With 44,000 dedicated colleagues and a bold vision for the future, Hartford HealthCare is transforming healthcare across Connecticut and beyond—enhancing access, affordability, health equity, and excellence. Spanning 500 locations across 185 towns and cities, our comprehensive care-delivery system is built to serve every community, every day.

From world-class hospitals—including two tertiary-level teaching hospitals, an acute-care community teaching hospital, an acute-care hospital and trauma center, and three community hospitals—to an expansive network of behavioral health services, multispecialty physician groups, urgent and virtual care, surgery centers, home care, senior care, rehabilitation, and mobile neighborhood health programs, Hartford HealthCare is there when and where it matters most.

We touch the lives of nearly 28,000 people every single day, delivering unparalleled care through our unique Institute Model—bringing together leading experts in neuroscience, cancer, digestive health, heart and vascular care, orthopedics, and urology & kidney health to provide a unified, high standard of care at the most affordable cost.

Recognized nationally for patient safety and clinical excellence, Hartford HealthCare boasts Leapfrog A-ratings across all our hospitals, making HHC one of the safest healthcare systems in the country. Join us on our journey to reimagine healthcare. Visit www.HartfordHealthCare.org and stay connected through our newsletters and social media.

About Orthopedic Associates of Hartford

OAH is one of Connecticut's largest and most respected orthopedic specialty groups. As a total orthopedic care center, OAH physicians and surgeons are experts in their orthopedic specialties, dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injuries of the bones, muscles, tendons, nerves, and ligaments in adults and children. Convenient offices are located throughout central Connecticut in the following locations: Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Hartford, Manchester, Plainville, Rocky Hill and South Windsor. OAH has three state-of-the-art surgical centers that provide the highest level of surgical care on an outpatient basis in Rocky Hill, Glastonbury, and Hartford. OAH also operates an MRI Center in Farmington and urgent care centers in Farmington and Glastonbury that provide after-hour and weekend care for acute orthopedic injuries. To learn more, please visit oahct.com

About CSA

CSA is a leading developer and operator of outpatient surgery centers. Over the past 26 years, CSA has developed 26 surgery centers, including 15 hospital joint ventures, and has partnered with more than 500 surgeons. CSA's surgery centers complete more than 100,000 surgical cases each year. For more information about Hartford Healthcare Hartford Surgery Center or other CSA award-winning ASCs, please visit www.CSAsurgery.com

SOURCE Constitution Surgery Alliance