MOULTRIE, Ga. — Colquitt Regional Medical Center recently announced that it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement Certifications.

The Gold Seal of Approval is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care, according to a press release from the hospital.

Colquitt Regional underwent a rigorous on-site review in October. Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with national disease-specific care standards as well as with Total Joint specific requirements. Clinical practice guidelines and performance measures were also 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.

“Colquitt Regional has thoroughly demonstrated a high level of care for patients needing total joint replacements,” said Patrick Phelan, interim executive director, Hospital Business Development, The Joint Commission. “We commend Colquitt Regional for becoming a leader in total knee and total hip replacement care, potentially providing a higher standard of service for joint replacement patients in its community.”

“The Joint Commission is the premier health care quality improvement and accrediting body in the nation,” added Colquitt Regional CEO Jim Matney. “Receiving their stamp of approval is a great accomplishment and it means that our patients can expect superior care from our physicians and staff.”

The Total Joint Replacement Program at Colquitt Regional is led by Dr. Robert Bartosh and Dr. Jared Toman.  Bartosh and Toman are both Board Certified orthopedic surgeons and they practice exclusively at Colquitt Regional.  Shain Nowland, RN is the director of the Surgical Orthopedics floor and he directs a group of 19 Colquitt Regional employees who developed the program as a team. The program outlines a comprehensive approach to joint replacement, placing an emphasis on patients receiving thorough education prior to their surgery.  The program also sets goals for patients and establishes communication between all departments that are involved in their care.     

“I just can’t emphasize enough how proud we are to receive this certification,” said Richard Bass, chairman of the Colquitt Regional Board of Trustees. “We know how dedicated our staff and physicians are, and we know that they deliver superior healthcare. To have an outside organization come in and evaluate our health outcomes, and rate us as one of the safest hospitals in the nation … we could not be more thrilled!”