ESCONDIDO–Palomar Health, one of the preeminent joint replacement centers in the nation, has joined the American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) which enhances their mission to provide the best possible patient experience in orthopedic care.

Nearly one-in-four total of all joint replacement surgeries in San Diego County are performed at Palomar Medical Center and Pomerado Hospital and Palomar Health’s joint-replacement program is in the top one-percent in America for post-surgical pain control based on a standardized pain protocol developed in conjunction with the Mayo Clinic.

Additionally, Palomar Medical Center has been designated as an Aetna Institute of Quality for Orthopedics and Pomerado Hospital been recognized as a Blue Distinction Center for high-quality Knee and Hip Replacement, by Anthem Blue Shield of California.

AJRR provides surgeons with reports and a database that allows them to compare it to national benchmarks and helps them make more informed recommendations to their patients—ultimately improving patient care.

“Joining AJRR is an important step for Palomar health as it acknowledges our commitment to be a leader in joint replacement surgery in southern California,” said James Bried, M.D., medical director of orthopedic surgery at Pomerado Hospital. “It enables us to continue to pursue excellence through communication with the best institutions in the nation and the world with the goal of achieving outstanding outcomes for patients over the long term.”

More than a million hip and knee replacements have been performed in the U.S.  As the population ages and obesity exacerbates joint problems in younger people, total joint replacement has become one of the most common, and the costliest U.S. inpatient surgery.

Palomar Health has redesigned the delivery of care to be evidence-based, hassle-free and patient friendly. This “Patient First” approach has led to optimal outcomes, like less pain after surgery, shorter hospital stays, and reduced risk for infections.

During fiscal year 2016, Palomar Health orthopedic surgeons performed 2,893 joint replacements. These patients ranked Palomar Health among the highest in the nation in patient satisfaction.  Tracking the data from these procedures can help lead to greater success rates for all patients.