December 13, 2007

Mercy Ranks No. 1 in Iowa for Orthopedic Services

Mercy Medical Center—Sioux City has earned a regional and national reputation for excellence in orthopedic care and joint replacement surgery.

The medical center is currently ranked No. 1 in Iowa for orthopedic services and joint replacement surgery, according to a comprehensive study released in October by HealthGrades, the nation’s leading independent healthcare ratings company.

Mercy is the only healthcare facility in the state to be recognized with the 2008 HealthGrades Orthopedic Surgery Specialty Excellence Award. The hospital also earned the 2008 Joint Replacement Specialty Excellence Award.

According to the Tenth Annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America Study, Mercy ranks in the top 5% of the nation’s hospitals for orthopedic surgery. The study, the largest of its kind, analyzed patient outcomes at virtually all of the nation's 5,000 hospitals over the years 2004, 2005 and 2006. All hospitals were rated, whether they wanted to be or not, and all were rated in exactly the same way. HealthGrades gets its hospital data directly from the federal government, and no hospital pays a fee to have its patient outcomes information studied or rated by the company.

The study gave Mercy five-star ratings – the best rating – for patient outcomes in total knee replacement, total hip replacement, hip fracture repair, and back and neck surgery without spinal fusion.

Mercy has a reputation for advanced care in orthopedic surgery. Experienced, skilled staff members in the hospital’s Surgical Services Department support and assist the efforts of surgeons and anesthesiologists.

“Our ortho team is comprised of OR registered nurses and certified surgical technicians who have specialized in orthopedic surgery for many years,” said Candis Emanuel, director of Surgical Services at Mercy. “We also offer surgeons and their patients leading edge technology. This year, for example, we purchased all new videoscopic equipment that provides surgeons with unsurpassed, state-of-the-art visualization.”

Mercy was the first hospital in the area to complete kyphoplasty procedures, minimally invasive spinal surgeries used to treat painful, progressive vertebral compression fractures.

The hospital was also the first in the area to use a high-tech implant in the surgical treatment of fractured bones that do not heal after a normal period of time. The implant, known as OP-1, is a genetically engineered recombinant human protein, known as bone morphogenetic protein.

Mercy revolutionized the clinical approach to joint replacement surgery in the Siouxland area with the development of its Total Joint Care Center in 2000. The center focuses on overall patient wellness with the goal of achieving a speedy, complete recovery for patients. Patient satisfaction surveys and baseline patient care outcomes affirm that the program has been highly successful in the past seven years.

“Orthopedic surgeons serving Mercy’s patients are driven to provide the best care for their patients,” said Monica Blackley, RN, BSN, clinical nurse manager for the Total Joint Care Center at Mercy. “Our dedicated orthopedic nurses – many with over 20 years of experience in total joint care and orthopedics – provide outstanding care.”

“Good pre-surgery coordination, pre-testing, and patient education are also key components of our successful program. It is an effective means of setting realistic expectations and mutual goals,” Blackley added.

Donielle Peck, RN, MSN, clinical educator for Mercy’s Total Joint Care Center, visits patients regularly while they’re hospitalized and coordinates their care with the nursing staff.
“We have the ability to provide patients with four sessions of physical therapy per day while they are hospitalized,” Peck explained. “Patients benefit from a group therapy environment that is supportive and encouraging. As a result, they feel more confident when it’s time for them to go home.”

Not only do joint replacement patients at Mercy realize excellent clinical outcomes, but they also give the hospital high marks for the care they received.

“We have many repeat customers—so to speak,” said Blackley. “They are very happy with the program, its staff, and their own outcomes.”

As Iowa’s top-ranked hospital for orthopedic services, Mercy’s experienced and highly skilled clinicians deliver patient-centered care that is on a par with the nation’s best hospitals. In short, “it’s that good.”

For more information about Siouxland’s top-ranked orthopedic and joint replacement surgery program, and to read the testimonial of Penny Fee, a recent patient, visit www.Mercy-ItsThatGood.com.