Williamson Medical Center awarded top certifications for hip and knee replacement and spine surgery

Williamson Medical Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^_® for Hip Replacement, Knee Replacement and Spine Surgery Certification. The Gold Seal of Approval^_® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.

Williamson Medical Center underwent a rigorous onsite review in October of 2016. Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with specific care standards and surgery requirements for our hip, knee and spine program. Clinical practice guidelines and performance measures also were assessed.

Established in 2002 and awarded for a two-year period, The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification evaluates clinical programs across the continuum of care and addresses three core areas:

• Compliance with consensus-based national standards;
• Effective use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care; and
• An organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities.

Orthopaedic surgeon Michael McNamara, Williamson Medical Center’s chief of surgery, said of all the awards and honors a medical center can receive, a designation from The Joint Commission is the most significant.

“This is a wonderful achievement by our staff for the Joint and Spine Center,” McNamara said. “It means that we continue to provide exemplary care and are committed to always raising the bar for our patients and our community. This validates what we’ve been doing for the last 20 years.”

Patrick Phelan, interim executive director, Hospital Business Development, The Joint Commission agreed, saying that Williamson Medical Center has thoroughly demonstrated a high level of care for patients needing joint replacements of the hip or knee or spine surgery.

“We commend Williamson Medical Center for becoming a leader in orthopaedic care, potentially providing a higher standard of service for orthopaedic patients in its community,” Phelan said.

Frances Scott, BSN, RN, nursing director for Williamson’s Joint and Spine Center, said this certification illustrates the orthopaedic team’s ongoing desire to continually strive for improvement.

“We already have great programs in place and this certification helps us let the world know how great we are, but also instills in us a desire to never stop improving,” she said.
McNamara said Williamson County consists of communities that regularly meet and exceed regional and even national benchmarks for schools, growth and business, so why should our medical center be any different?

“We just achieved a huge benchmark for the medical community right here in Franklin,” he said.

For more information on this certification and to read more about Williamson Medical Center’s Joint and Spine click here: williamsonmedicalcenter.org/orthopaedics

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