• Press Release

Mount Sinai West Department of Orthopaedics Awarded Prestigious Advanced Certification for Hip and Knee by The Joint Commission

  • New York, NY
  • (January 23, 2017)

Mount Sinai West has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement.  It is one of the few only hospitals in New York City and New York State to receive the prestigious certification for an orthopedic program.  The award is a symbol of the highest-quality safety and care, and recognizes compliance with The Joint Commission’s strict national standards.   

Mount Sinai West joins an elite group of providers who meet the Advanced Certification standards, which demonstrate they adhere to the best orthopedic practices in the country.  Currently, 25 other orthopedic programs in the United States, including the program at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, have been granted this top honor for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement.  

“This certificate shows that Mount Sinai West provides an exceedingly high level of care in every parameter of joint replacement when it comes to positive outcomes, low complication rates, and the high patient satisfaction,” said Michael Bronson, MD, Chair, Department of Orthopaedics, Mount Sinai West; Chief, Joint Replacement Surgery, Mount Sinai West; and Associate Professor, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “The Advanced Certification sends a message to the community that if you’re considering having joint replacement surgery, you can be assured you will get superlative care at Mount Sinai West.”

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Mount Sinai West underwent a rigorous, two-day, on-site survey in November 2016, in which a reviewer from The Joint Commission conducted an exhaustive analysis of care provided to patients requiring total hip and knee replacements.  They examined all aspects, including pre-operative evaluation, the surgery itself, and the patient’s recovery in the hospital following the procedure.  The Joint Commission evaluated specifics involving patient education leading up to the procedure, the safety and success of the surgery, and that patients can function independently at home in the weeks after hospital discharge.

“This achievement reflects the hard work and expertise of our administrative and clinical staff at Mount Sinai West and I’m grateful for their efforts that contributed to this honor,” said Leesa Galatz, MD, System Chair, Orthopaedics, Mount Sinai Health System, and Mount Sinai Professor, Leni and Peter W. May Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “We will continue to deliver great care to patients on the Manhattan’s West Side, and become a destination for patients throughout the region.”

The Joint Commission established Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement at the beginning of 2016 in response to a growing number of patients undergoing the procedures.  Other contributing factors in the establishment of this certification were the increased focus on pain management in patients, their quality of life, and their having enough mobility to return to their normal, everyday activities.  The Advanced Certification lasts for two years, and recipients have the option to re-apply after it expires.

“Mount Sinai West is proud of our exceptional joint replacement service and fabulous work of our orthopaedic surgeons and pleased that the joint commission recognizes our superior care with this prestigious designation,” said Evan Flatow, MD, President, Mount Sinai West.  “This award recognizes the patient-centered and high-quality focus of the orthopaedic program at Mount Sinai West.”

Mount Sinai Beth Israel earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement in September 2016 during a separate review.  At the time it was the only hospital in New York State to receive this prestigious honor for an orthopedic program.  Advanced Certification is only offered for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement at this time.

About 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 nearly 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.


About the Mount Sinai Health System

Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with more than 43,000 employees working across eight hospitals, over 400 outpatient practices, nearly 300 labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time — discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.

Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 7,300 primary and specialty care physicians; 13 joint-venture outpatient surgery centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and more than 30 affiliated community health centers. We are consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals, receiving high "Honor Roll" status, and are highly ranked: No. 1 in Geriatrics and top 20 in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Neurology/Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology/Lung Surgery, Rehabilitation, and Urology. New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked No. 12 in Ophthalmology. U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Children’s Hospitals” ranks Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital among the country’s best in several pediatric specialties.

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