ALBUQUERQUE – May 22, 2024 – Lovelace Medical Center (LMC) 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.
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 surgeon to the preoperative, intraoperative, hospitalization or ambulatory surgery center admission, rehabilitation activities, and then the follow-up visit with the surgeon.
“Earning the Advanced Certification in Spine Surgery recognizes our hospital’s commitment to excellence and fostering the highest quality of care and safety for our patients,” said Brian Miller, chief executive officer for LMC. “Our entire care team, from our neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons and providers, to our operating room staff, nursing staff, case management and therapy team, is passionate about providing best practice care to our patients to improve their quality of life.”
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.
LMC underwent a rigorous onsite review. During the visit, a Joint Commission reviewer evaluated compliance with related certification standards. Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with healthcare experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewer also conducted onsite observations and interviews.
For more information on The Joint Commission, please visit jointcommission.org. To learn more about LMC and its commitment to providing quality and compassionate care, please visit lovelace.com.
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Contact:
Whitney Alcantar, Lovelace Health System
Phone: 505.903.0367
Lovelace Medical Center
Lovelace Medical Center (LMC), located in the heart of Albuquerque, is a 263-bed acute care hospital with over 1,100 employees providing comprehensive care, including around-the-clock emergency care, surgical services, non-invasive robotic spine surgery, cardiology, stroke care, radiology and oncology services. LMC was recently named to U.S. News & World Report High Performing Best Hospitals, in Heart Attack, Heart Bypass surgery, Heart Failure, Kidney Failure, Stroke and COPD got 2022 -2023 and received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Get with the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for 2023 for the 11th consecutive year. LMC earned Spine Surgery Program Certification from DNV for 2022- 2025 by demonstrating excellence in orthopedic surgery, including diagnosis and treatments in spine surgery as well as Primary Stroke Center Certification from DNV for 2022 – 2025 for its readiness to handle a full range of stroke-related medical problems. The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) awarded LMC, one of only 249 programs in the world, the Practice Transitional Accreditation Program (PTAP) for 2023, signifying that the hospital is following best practices and utilizing an evidence-based curriculum that is focused on helping the new graduate nurse transition from student nurse into professional nursing practice. To learn more about the state-of-the-art treatment options, innovative health care providers and award-winning quality initiatives at Lovelace Medical Center, visit lovelace.com.