Message from the board
The Continuity of Care Benefit
The clinicians at Dosher don't sugar coat the road to recovery that follows a total joint replacement surgery. However, they prepare you for it well. Starting with joint camp, a program offered to all patients who are scheduled for this type of procedure, our Surgery Coordinator Chelsea Cannon gives a comprehensive overview of what the process looks like every step of the way, from pre-op to rehabilitation.
Our staff is upfront about the procedure and the aftermath. They are honest about the physical pain in the days following surgery, about the help you will need in enduring the simplest of tasks those first few weeks at home, while your body is adjusting to its new knee, hip, or shoulder. They are available for questions and ready to ensure a successful outcome and recovery, before, during and after you leave the hospital. Our Physical and Occupational Therapists visit you bedside soon after the surgery is completed to assess mobility, review your discharge needs, and get you moving. The movement will not be comfortable at first, but it's a necessary step in your recovery. The good news is that most joint replacement patients experience big improvements in pain and mobility within a month after surgery than before the procedure was performed.
Surgery patients who have continued their recovery with Dosher Physical Therapy have been consistently satisfied with their care as well as their progress. Data suggests that continuity of care within one organization does not only ensure more satisfactory outcomes, but higher patient satisfaction as well. Why? Well, first of all, patient and therapist build a rapport from the onset of care. Working together "from the beginning," is quite different than jumping on in the middle. We remember the earliest conversations we had with you at bedside and your discharge concerns. Because you have already met your therapist at the hospital, it allows more time for progress in the first therapy session and less time going over your history. Not only is our Therapy team a few of the most skilled, friendliest, and well-rounded I've met, their experience in working with total joint replacement patients is impressive. It's not surprising that patients who opted for comprehensive care at Dosher have returned again and again when the need has arisen.
As a Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon myself, I can't help but look at these types of surgeries and recoveries with a slightly more critical eye, and am pleased and proud to be affiliated with a hospital where the work is always spot on from start to finish.
Opting for a joint replacement surgery is a big decision. While the experience of the Dosher staff counts for a lot, when it's your surgery, it's the only one that matters to you, and when we treat you, it's the only one that matters to us. While we wish you optimum health, we are here and ready, should you need us.
-Dr. Scott Starks, Chairman of the Dosher Board of Trustees