Nov. 17, 2017 – Southeast Georgia Health System has been recognized as
a 2018
Own the Bone Star Performer for achieving an exceptional compliance rate
on 10 prevention measures in the American Orthopaedic Association’s®
Own the Bone Program. This is the fourth consecutive year the Health System
has achieved this status.
Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery, a strategic affiliate of Southeast Georgia Health System, has implemented
Own the Bone, a quality improvement program aimed to better identify,
evaluate and treat patients that suffer from an osteoporosis or low bone
density-related fragility fracture (a broken bone that results from a
fall from standing height or less). The program, developed by the American
Orthopaedic Association, brings focus to the severe health implications
of fragility fractures and the multi-faceted approach hospitals or clinics
can employ to ensure these patients receive the most comprehensive care.
According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, up to 50 percent of
all women and 25 percent of men over age 50 will sustain fragility fractures
in their remaining lifetime. The American Bone Health Prevalence Report
states that more people in the United States suffer a fragility fracture
each year than are diagnosed with a heart attack, stroke or breast cancer
combined and is projected to significantly increase as the population
ages. Studies also show that patients who have had a fragility fracture
are two to four times more likely to experience another fracture than
those who have never had a fracture. That is, once a patient experiences
a fracture, they are very likely to get another one. Additionally, only
one in five Medicare patients received the osteoporosis care they needed
after a fracture, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance.
Leading the Way in Post-Fracture Patient Care
The Health System has demonstrated a commitment to helping patients understand
their risk for future fractures and the steps they can take to prevent
them through participation in Own the Bone’s national quality improvement
registry. The registry incorporates 10 measures for reducing future fractures
and provides tools to document, track and benchmark care of fragility
fracture patients. Originally initiated at Summit Sports Medicine &
Orthopaedic Surgery, the program is now being expanded to identify fractures
in the Emergency Care Centers on the Brunswick and Camden campuses.
J. Melvin Deese, M.D.,
board-certified
orthopaedic
surgeon with Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery and the
Own the Bone physician champion notes, “Expansion of the Health
System’s Fragility Fracture Program to identify fractures in the
Emergency Care Center will create a best of class opportunity. By systematically
identifying these patients and tracking their care specifically for osteoporosis
we will be regional leaders in this area of burgeoning awareness.”
Own the Bone Star Performers must achieve a 75 percent compliance rate
with at least five of the 10 Own the Bone prevention measures,
including:
educating patients on the importance of calcium and vitamin D, physical
activity, falls prevention, limiting alcohol intake and quitting smoking;
recommending and initiating bone mineral density testing; discussing pharmacotherapy
and treatment (when applicable); and, providing written communication
to the patient and their primary care physician regarding specific risk
factors and treatment recommendations.
For more information about Southeast Georgia Health System’s program
and treatment options, please
contact:
Gwen Gratto-Cox, the program coordinator at 912-466-7379.