January 19, 2016 - TCO
Twin Cities Orthopedics Partners with Local Hospitals to Prioritize Quality
TCO is leading a new quality initiative to share knowledge and improve patient outcomes via the American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR).
Twin Cities Orthopedics (TCO), is leading a new quality initiative to focus on better patient outcomes. TCO, in partnership with 30 Twin Cities and Western Wisconsin area hospitals and surgery centers, is using the American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) to focus on quality in healthcare.
The AJRR, which was created in 2010, provides unbiased data on joint replacement procedures and their long-term results. By collecting and reporting data, the AJRR provides actionable information to guide physicians and patient decision making to improve care.
“Having a joint registry empowers health care organizations to enhance the patient experience and benchmark performance,” says Dr. Gary Wyard, Chief Medical Officer, Twin Cities Orthopedics. “Having good metrics helps us set up standardized protocols and order sets, which in turn yields better outcomes.”
The knowledge sharing that the AJRR provides helps orthopedic surgeons to reduce complications and revision rates, which in turn allows health insurance companies to effectively manage costs. “The goal is to achieve better outcomes at a lower cost to the patient,” says Dr. Wyard.
Twin Cities Orthopedics is actively partnering to drive the adoption of the AJRR at local area hospitals, including at several hospitals within Fairview Health Services and Ridgeview Medical Center.
“Fairview is committed to using evidence-based, innovative clinical practices to deliver exceptional care and outcomes for our patients,” says Bradley Beard, Fairview Health Services, Regional President, South Region. “An essential aspect to delivering that level of care is tracking, analyzing and acting on outcomes. Fairview’s involvement in the American Joint Replacement Registry will provide us with another source of quality data so we can continuously improve.”
“We look forward to to actively participating in the AJRR. Ridgeview and our surgeons will use this data to continue to improve our exceptional surgical outcomes and quality of orthopaedic care we provide to our patients,” says B.J. Buckland, Director, Emergency and Surgical Services, Ridgeview Medical Center.
With over 600 hospitals enrolled in the registry nationwide and growing, the healthcare industry is calling for more emphasis on quality. “The US is definitely behind the curve in this area,” says Dr. Wyard. “The rest of the World has been using joint registries for a long time.”
To learn more about the AJRR, visit www.ajrr.net.
About Twin Cities Orthopedics
For over 70 years, Twin Cities Orthopedics has proudly offered a full spectrum of orthopedic and sports medicine care, devoted to the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of injuries and conditions that affect the body’s muscles, joints and bones. With more than 110 physicians and 35 locations across Minnesota and western Wisconsin, visiting Twin Cities Orthopedics is extremely convenient. https://tcomn.com
About Fairview
Fairview Health Services, based in Minneapolis, is a nonprofit, integrated health system providing exceptional healthcare across the full spectrum of healthcare services. In partnership with the University of Minnesota, our 21,000-plus employees and 2,300 employed and aligned physicians embrace innovation and new thinking to drive a healthier future through healing, discovery and education. For more information, visit www.fairview.org.
About Ridgeview Medical Center
Ridgeview Medical Center is an independent, nonprofit, regional health care system located just 35 minutes west of Minneapolis on Highway 5. Its network includes two hospitals—located in Waconia and Arlington—a multitude of primary and specialty care clinics, emergency services and specialty programs, and Two Twelve Medical Center in Chaska—a free-standing 24/7 emergency and urgent care facility with multispecialty clinics and services. For more information, visit www.ridgeviewmedical.org or www.twotwelvemedical.org.
About the AJRR
The American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) is a multi-stakeholder, not-for-profit organization that optimizes patient outcomes through the collection of data on primary and revision hip and knee replacement procedures throughout the US. http://www.ajrr.net