New London, CT (Sept. 23, 2024) – Lawrence + Memorial (L+M) Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Advanced Certification in Spine Surgery (ACSS) 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.
L+M is the second Yale New Haven Health hospital to receive this designation. Along with Yale New Haven Hospital – Saint Raphael Campus, they are among only 25 hospitals across the country to receive the Advanced Spine Surgery certification.
“This national certification underscores our commitment to ensure we provide high quality and safe patient care for our spine surgery patients in a compassionate and supportive environment,” said Patrick Doherty, MD, chief of Neurosurgery at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital; associate professor of clinical Neurosurgery at Yale School of Medicine. “This designation celebrates and recognizes Lawrence + Memorial Hospital as a center of excellence for spine surgery and is a true testament to the commitment of our physician assistants, our nurses, therapists, coordinators and physician colleagues.”
Degenerative spine disease is one of the most prevalent and costly disease states worldwide with common surgical options including spinal fusion and decompression or discectomy surgery. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, more than 1.2 million spinal surgeries are performed nationally each year. Joint Commission Advanced Certification in Spine Surgery (ACSS) helps elevate the services we provide with the evidence-based proof of clinical quality sought by patients and payers alike.
The certification, offered in collaboration with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, helps organizations provide consistent communication and collaboration among all healthcare providers involved in the care of the patient – from the pre-surgical consultation with the spine surgery team to the intraoperative, hospitalization or ambulatory surgery center admission, rehabilitation activities, and then the follow-up visit with the surgical team.
To be eligible for ACSS, organizations must implement evidence-based care and clinical practice guidelines and participate in the American Spine Registry, a national quality improvement registry for spine care. Additionally, organizations need to collect performance measurement data on surgical site infection rates, new neurological deficits, unplanned return visits to the operating room, and pre-operative and post-operative patient reported outcomes.
L+M Hospital underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review earlier this year. During the visit, a Joint Commission reviewer evaluated compliance with related certification standards including program management, supporting self-management, and delivering clinical care. The Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with heatlhcare experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewer also conducted onsite observations and interviews.
Achieving Advanced Certification in Spine Surgery distinguishes L+M’s robust program as it validates our collaboration among all healthcare providers - from pre-surgery consultation, coordination of care with surgical navigators, perioperative care teams and post-acute recovery teams. This team effort has been shown to deliver the highest quality of outcomes possible for patients.
“Advanced Certification in Spine Surgery recognizes healthcare organizations committed to striving for excellence and fostering continuous improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Ken Grubbs, DNP, MBA, RN, executive vice president of Accreditation and Certification Operations and chief nursing officer, The Joint Commission. “We commend L+M Hospital for using The Joint Commission certification process to reduce variation in clinical processes and to strengthen its clinical program to drive safer, higher quality and more compassionate care for individuals served.”
Learn more about Spine Surgery at L+M Hospital.
Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, a member of Yale New Haven Health, is a non-profit, 308-bed general and acute care hospital providing patient care to medical, surgical, pediatric, psychiatric and obstetrical patients in southeastern Connecticut and southern Rhode Island since 1912. Lawrence + Memorial offers cardiac acute, step-down and rehabilitation programs and is the only eastern Connecticut hospital that performs emergency and elective angioplasty. www.lmhospital.org
