UAMS Named Top 10% in Nation for Joint Replacement
| LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) ranks among the top 10% in the nation for joint replacement surgery for the second year in a row, according to Healthgrades, the leading resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems.
UAMS also received the Joint Replacement Excellence Award.
“Our orthopaedic team believes in putting the patient first, and it shows,” said Steppe Mette, M.D., senior vice chancellor for UAMS Health and CEO of UAMS Medical Center. “Year after year, our orthopaedic team offers exceptional care to the people of Arkansas.”
Each year, Healthgrades evaluates hospital performance at nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide for 31 of the most common inpatient procedures and conditions using Medicare data, and all-payer data from 16 states for bariatrics and appendectomy procedures.
Healthgrades Specialty Excellence Awards recognize hospitals with superior performance in specific specialty lines and specialty focus areas. From 2018-2020, patients treated at hospitals receiving the Joint Replacement Specialty Excellence Award have, on average a 61.1% lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the award.
“We want to provide information to make finding a health care specialist an easier experience for consumers. Patients can feel confident knowing that hospitals that are recognized for their performance in Joint Replacement provide high-quality care and superior outcomes,” said Brad Bowman, M.D., chief medical officer of Healthgrades.
UAMS Medical Center was also recognized for the following clinical achievements:
- Five-Star Recipient for Total Knee Replacement for Five Years in a Row (2018-2022)
- Five-Star Recipient for Total Hip Replacement for Four Years in a Row (2019-2022)
“I consider myself fortunate to work with an exceptionally talented team that is dedicated to the health and well-being of our patients,” said with C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. “Providing the safest, efficient and high-quality joint replacement possible for the patients in our state and region is our number one goal.”
For its analysis, Healthgrades evaluated approximately 45 million Medicare inpatient records for nearly 4,500 short-term acute care hospitals nationwide to assess hospital performance in 31 common conditions and procedures and evaluated outcomes in appendectomy and bariatric surgery using all-payer data provided by 16 states. Due to the highly variable impact of the pandemic on hospital outcomes, Healthgrades excluded cases with a COVID-19 diagnosis from the 2020 data in order to preserve the statistical integrity of their models and fairly evaluate clinical outcomes at all hospitals. To view the complete methodology, please visit: https://www.healthgrades.com/quality/ratings-awards/methodology
Healthgrades recognizes a hospital’s quality achievements for cohort-specific performance, specialty area performance, and overall clinical quality. Individual procedure or condition cohorts are designated as 5-star (statistically significantly better than expected), 3-star (not statistically different from expected), and 1-star (statistically significantly worse than expected).
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,275 students, 890 medical residents and fellows, and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###