The Joint Commission awarded Summit Orthopedics' Eagan (Minn.) Surgery Center its Spine Fusion Certification.
The certification, which is one of the most difficult to receive, was awarded to the surgery center in January. Eagan-based Summit Orthopedics Vice President Beckie Hines explained in a LinkedIn post how Eagan Surgery Center prepared for The Joint Commission's survey and earned the distinction.
Key details to know:
1. The center first brought together a multidisciplinary team of professionals specializing in spine fusion.
2. Next, the team created a standardized pathway for care delivery, following clearly defined protocols.
3. Ms. Hines said the patient navigator role was one of the most important roles in the process.
4. "We did not pursue certification because we want to do more spine fusion surgeries," Nick Willis, MD, a surgeon at Summit Orthopedics said in a post on the practice's website. "Although this certification demonstrates our fusion expertise, it's also important to note that 85 percent of our spine patients are successfully treated with conservative therapies. Only 15 percent of patients are referred to a spine surgeon. And only a fraction of those patients need fusion surgery."