Total Joint Center at The Miriam Hospital Celebrates a Banner First Year

Posted Wednesday, December 12, 2012

John A. Froehlich, MD, MBA, program director of the Total Joint Center at The Miriam Hospital; Maria Ducharme, RN, senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer of The Miriam Hospital; and Gary Ferguson, MD, clinical director of the Total Joint Center at The Miriam Hospital.

The Total Joint Center at The Miriam Hospital – a center of excellence dedicated to providing state-of-the-art specialized procedures, rehabilitation and care to restore function to damaged hips, knees and shoulders – recently celebrated its one-year anniversary.

To mark the special day, former Total Joint Center patients were invited to an anniversary reception, where they had the opportunity to thank and celebrate with the surgeons, physicians, nurses, physical therapists and other providers who cared for them during their stay and helped them return to their daily activities.

A program of Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals, the Total Joint Center features a comprehensive and multidisciplinary program including pre-operative patient education, surgical and medical care, acute rehabilitation, assistance with discharge planning and post-operative wellness instruction. It offers patients the latest advancements in surgical technologies, equipment and techniques, ranging from minimally invasive procedures to more complex reconstructive surgeries.

The Total Joint Center currently performs more than 100 cases per month, putting it on track for 1,200 cases in 2012. In this time, the program has yielded some early successes, including significant decreases in both length of stay as well as discharges to rehabilitation facilities – meaning patients are getting home and back on their feet faster and more efficiently.

“As the success of our first year attests, The Total Joint Center expands on The Miriam Hospital’s exceptional track record of caring for orthopedic patients and reflects our commitment to supporting excellence in joint replacement surgery,” said Arthur J. Sampson, president of The Miriam Hospital. “Combining the most advanced technologies with a world-class medical team and the caring, healing environment that The Miriam Hospital is known for allows our clinical staff to provide high quality orthopedic care that’s close to home.”

The Total Joint Center features state-of-the-art operating rooms designed for specialized operations, including computer navigated surgery. Pre- and post-operative care units are equipped for optimal patient care, including devices to ensure patients can move safely and comfortably. A 610-foot walking trail on the post-operative unit is marked by photographs of various Rhode Island landmarks that serve as distance markers for patients during rehabilitation therapy.

The multidisciplinary team includes nine board-certified orthopedic surgeons, internal medicine specialists, anesthesiologists, rehabilitation therapists, social workers and Magnet-designated nursing staff. A patient navigator also works collaboratively with the surgeon and staff to guide patients through surgery, recovery and rehabilitation by helping to coordinate services, answer questions and provide emotional support for patients and families.

“We don’t just focus on total hip, knee or shoulder replacement; we focus on the entire patient experience, from initial consultation through recovery and rehabilitation,” says John A. Froehlich, MD, MBA, program director of the Total Joint Center. “We take a collaborative, patient-centered approach in everything we do, whether it’s individualized treatment plans or customized pain management strategies, and involve and empower the patient throughout every step of the treatment process. This leads to improved outcomes, faster recovery and high patient satisfaction.”

According to Gary Ferguson, MD, clinical director of the Total Joint Center, a comprehensive pre-operative educational session is a key component of the total joint replacement journey. “Total joint replacement can be a life-changing operation for patients with chronic knee, hip or shoulder conditions, but in order to have a successful recovery, they need to be prepared for what they’ll experience before, during and after the surgery,” he says. “By discussing issues such as mobility, pain control, and the discharge process during the first visit, we are able to facilitate the transition from surgery to resumption of normal life, and an enhanced quality of life.”

Learn more about the Total Joint Center

Filed under: Miriam, Orthopedic Institute,