Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital awarded first Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement Certification in Montana

This certification from The Joint Commission has taken five years of hard work and dedication to achieve.

Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital (FMDH) has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^® for Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement Certification by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a healthcare organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care.

“Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital is proud to be the first hospital in Montana with this certification,” declared Nickolas Dirkes, CEO of FMDH. “This certification process has taken 5 years to achieve and I’m very proud of our team for their commitment in ensuring the patients in our service area get the safest care possible. FMDH is devoted to providing as many services as possible close to home, high quality patient care and exceeding expectations of the patients in our care. We hold ourselves to the highest standard with this certification and are excited to pave the way for this achievement in Montana.”

The Joint Commission enterprise is a global driver of quality improvement and patient safety in health care. Through leading practices, unmatched knowledge and expertise, and rigorous standards, they help organizations lead the way to zero harm. Their mission and vision are to continuously improve health care for the public by evaluating healthcare organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value.

The certification, offered in collaboration with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, focuses on the pre-surgical orthopedic consultation to the intraoperative, hospitalization or ambulatory surgical center admission, rehabilitation activities, and follow-up visit with the orthopedic surgeon.

Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review on June 5^th and 6^th. During the visit, a Joint Commission reviewer evaluated compliance with related certification standards including use of clinical practice guidelines, standardized processes, tracks of clinical outcomes and performance measures to identify opportunities to improve care, and to educate and prepare patients and caregivers for discharge. Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with healthcare experts and providers, measurement experts, and patients. The reviewer also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

“Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement Certification recognizes healthcare organizations committed to fostering continuous improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Deborah Ryan, MS, RN, interim executive vice president, Accreditation and Certification Operations, The Joint Commission. “We commend Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for orthopedic patients.”

For more information, please visit The Joint Commission website.