Safety Second to None for Total Joint Patients at Andrews Institute

At the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in Gulf Breeze, Florida, patient safety and satisfaction are always a top priority. Nowhere is that more clear than in the data surrounding the outcomes of hip and knee replacements.

As a participant in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model, Baptist Health Care and Andrews Institute rank in the 99^th percentile nationally for hip and knee safety measures. The average length of hospital stay (for those admitted) is 1.6 days, well below the national average of 2.4 days.

“We’re so proud of our record because it very clearly demonstrates our commitment to safety and satisfaction is working,” said David Joyner, M.D., president of Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. “But it doesn’t mean our work is done. We can always improve, and a big way we do that is by listening to our patients.”

One of the key components to the total joint replacement success at Andrews is the pre-surgical optimization clinical team. Its goal is to help patients manage their risk factors leading up to surgery. Based on an individual’s risk factors, surgery can be scheduled in the inpatient, outpatient or ambulatory surgery center, another big factor in the program’s success.

“The idea that our patients who qualify can have a total joint replacement as an outpatient procedure is something most of them really appreciate,” said G. Daxton Steele, M.D., who, along with Brett Smith, M.D., and Wesley Mayes, M.D., performs total joint surgeries at the Andrews Institute. “Patients love the idea of recuperating in the comfort of their own home.”

Although patients may be out-of-sight, they are certainly not-out-of-mind from the care of their physician and recovery team. They can expect to begin rehabilitation at Andrews Institute within a couple of days of surgery and stick with their program until fully recovered.

For more information on total joint procedures or to make an appointment at Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, visit AndrewsInstitute.com or call 850.916.8700.