The Alliance recently designated Monroe Clinic is one of four hospitals achieving QualityPath status for total hip and total knee replacement. In January 2014, Monroe Clinic launched the Joint Replacement Center for Excellence, a program that takes an innovative approach to joint replacement surgery.

"Our QualityPath status is an indicator of the excellence we've achieved in knee and hip replacements," stated Dr. Lance Sathoff, Orthopaedic Surgeon and Medical Director of the Joint Replacement Center of Excellence. "Anyone considering a joint replacement will know that our joint replacement surgery and care meet the highest standards."

At the core of the Joint Replacement Center of Excellence success is the special caregiving team and dedicated section of the hospital that caters to joint replacement patients. The patients learn, recover and encourage each other as a group-cheered on by the Joint Replacement Center of Excellence team and family or friends acting as coaches.

"This unique collaboration and motivational setting gets results, which means patients can return to everyday life quickly and more completely than ever before. It also means we've exceeded national hospital standards for recovery time, pain management and overall customer satisfaction," shared Wes Speer, Doctorate of Physical Therapy and Coordinator of Monroe Clinic's Joint Replacement Center of Excellence.

Speer credits the high performance to a combination of skilled surgeons, dedicated expert nursing and therapy staff, attention to detail and robust patient education that prepares each and every patient for a full and successful recovery.

Monroe Clinic's performance results for joint replacement patients exceed national standards in length of hospital stay, ability to walk and sit comfortably, overall customer satisfaction, and recommendation of the services to others.

Sathoff is one of only five doctors recognized by the QualityPath program. Due to The Alliance program criteria of number of procedures done at a single facility, Dr. Jonathan Swindle, a newer addition to Monroe Clinic's team, is expected to qualify later this year.

About The Alliance QualityPath

The Alliance's QualityPath designation identifies hospitals and physicians that work together to meet proven standards for delivering quality care for total hip replacement, total knee replacement.

The designated QualityPath hospitals for total hip replacement and total knee replacement are:  Meriter Hospital, Madison, WI; Monroe Clinic, Monroe, WI; Rockford Memorial Hospital, Rockford, IL; and St. Clare Hospital, Baraboo, WI.

For individuals that receive health insurance coverage through The Alliance, this means Monroe Clinic qualifies to perform QualityPath joint replacement procedures beginning in 2015 with 100 percent health benefit coverage.

The Alliance is an employer-owned, not-for-profit cooperative that is focused on controlling costs, improving quality and engaging individuals in their health. Its more than 200 employer members provide health benefit coverage to 90,000 individuals in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa.

® QualityPath is a registered trademark of The Alliance.

Monroe Clinic

Monroe Clinic is a not-for-profit, single hospital health system serving communities in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. In 2013, Monroe Clinic provided $25.5 million, or approximately 15 percent of the total net operating revenue, in unreimbursed services to benefit the communities we serve. For more information about Monroe Clinic, please visit monroeclinic.org.