Spectrum Health Fifth in Nation for Hip and Knee Replacement

Spectrum Health was ranked as the nation’s fifth largest provider of hip and knee replacements in a recent issue of Orthopedic Network News.

The July 2010 issue of Orthopedic Network News (ONN) states that the Top 10 joint replacement hospitals are ranked based on volume as determined by Aspen Healthcare Metrics using 2009 data which allows for comparisons among joint replacement programs across the country.

Clinical research suggests that the more a surgical team does the same procedure together and the higher volume of patients, the better the clinical results. More than 100 studies have demonstrated better results at high-volume hospitals.

Spectrum Health is also listed as having higher than the national average number of revision cases performed here. The number of revision procedures is important because a higher number indicates that a hospital has “become a referral center for other revisions that cannot be treated elsewhere, and most often represents the expertise of the physicians and the institution,” according to ONN.

“Spectrum Health’s ranking among the top 10 orthopedic providers in the country validates the success we have had in providing quality care and service to our patients,” said Matt Van Vranken, executive vice president, Spectrum Health System and president, Spectrum Health Hospital Group.”Spectrum Health is truly becoming a destination for individuals who seek quality and innovation in orthopedic treatment.”

Earlier this summer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network designated Spectrum Health Blodgett and Butterworth hospitals as Blue Distinction Centers for Spine Surgery™ and Blue Distinction Centers for Knee and Hip Replacement™.

Orthopedic Network News is a quarterly publication and on-line information service that covers cost and quality issues in orthopedics. Visit www.orthopedicnetworknews.com for more information.

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan that offers a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, a collection of eight hospitals and more than 140 service sites; the Spectrum Health Medical Group, mmpc® and West Michigan Heart—physician groups totaling more than 400 providers; and Priority Health, a health plan with nearly 580,000 members. Spectrum Health’s 16,000 employees, 1,500 medical staff members and 2,000 volunteers are committed to delivering the highest quality care. The organization provided $79.4 million in community benefit during its 2009 fiscal year. In 2010, Spectrum Health was named a Top 10 Health System by Thomson Reuters.