Virginia Mason Franciscan Health leads the way in high quality orthopedic care in the South Sound and Peninsula

TACOMA, Wash. and SEATTLE, May 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Several Virginia Mason Franciscan Health hospitals, including St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale, and St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, recently earned top accreditations and certifications for providing high quality orthopedic care to patients. 

"Our patients are our top priority," said David Schultz, senior vice president of operations and service lines for Virginia Mason Franciscan Health."These recognitions reflect Virginia Mason Franciscan Health's commitment to providing top-tier patient care. We are proud of our orthopedic service line and look forward to continually improving our practices moving forward."

St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood received the Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement Certification from The Joint Commission, an enterprise of quality improvement and patient care practices that help organizations reach rigorous quality standards. The certification by Joint Commission is the only one offered in collaboration with American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a leading provider of musculoskeletal education to orthopaedic surgeons. The certification focuses on orthopedic care and evaluates patient standards to ensure hospitals are delivering the best quality and care for patients.

To earn the award, The Joint Commission conducted an unannounced site visit to evaluate St. Clare Hospital's compliance with key measurements including evidence-based care and clinical practice guidelines. The certification's focus also includes transitions of care from the pre-surgical orthopedic consultation to the intraoperative, hospitalization, rehabilitation activities, and follow-up visits with the orthopedic surgeon.  

Additionally, St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale and St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor were both accredited as a Center of Excellence in Joint Replacement by the Surgical Review Corporation – an independent organization that administers best-in-class accreditation programs for medical professionals, surgeons, hospitals and freestanding outpatient facilities globally.

To achieve an accreditation, Surgical Review Corporation performs a comprehensive on-site inspection to ensure the hospital meets all requirements. The inspection process is divided into four parts: document submission, medical chart review, interviews and facility assessment. Each report also provides recommendations to continue refining quality improvement and patient safety. 

Surgical Review Corporation also recognized surgeons at both hospitals that demonstrate top excellence in joint replacement: Erin Moyer, MD and Bradley Watters, MD with St. Michael Medical Center; Lance Bear, MD, and Matthew Matthew B. Beck, MD with St. Anthony Hospital.

About Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is an integrated health system serving the Puget Sound region of Washington state, offering access to some of the country's most prestigious experts and hospitals that are internationally known for superior quality. With a team of 18,000 team members, including nearly 5,000 employed physicians and affiliated providers, we unite the brightest health care minds in the region to provide world-class clinical excellence at 11 hospitals and nearly 300 sites of care throughout the Puget Sound area. We are proud to be the home of Bailey-Boushay House, the first skilled-nursing and outpatient chronic care management program in the United States designed specifically to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS, and Benaroya Research Institute, which is internationally recognized for autoimmune disease research. We embrace our community's uniquely vibrant, active culture by providing holistic, personalized and patient-centered care. We are committed to caring for the most vulnerable in our communities, including the poor and underserved, providing more than $300 million in community benefit – free, subsidized, and reduced cost health care and programs.

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health was formed in 2021 by bringing together two leading health systems in Washington state. Our family of hospitals includes Virginia Mason Hospital, Seattle; St. Anthony Hospital, Gig Harbor; St. Clare Hospital, Lakewood; St. Elizabeth Hospital, Enumclaw; St. Francis Hospital, Federal Way; St. Joseph Medical Center, Tacoma; St. Michael Medical Center, Silverdale and Bremerton; St. Anne Hospital, Burien; Rehabilitation Hospital, Tacoma; and Wellfound Behavioral Health Hospital, Tacoma. Learn more at www.vmfh.org.

SOURCE Virginia Mason Franciscan Health