The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB Health) League City Campus has earned accreditation as a Total Joint Replacement Center of Excellence from The Joint Commission, recognizing the program’s commitment to delivering coordinated, evidence-based care for patients undergoing joint replacement surgery.
For patients, the recognition means access to a nationally accredited joint replacement program close to home.
The accreditation follows a successful survey conducted on July 24. To earn the accreditation, the orthopedic team demonstrated its approach to patient care from initial preparation through recovery, including a focus on safety, clinical outcomes, patient education, and continuous improvement.
“Joint replacement care involves much more than the procedure itself,” said Gulshan Sharma, MD, MPH, FCCP, senior vice president and chief medical and clinical innovation officer for UTMB Health. “It requires coordination across the entire care team, from preparing patients for surgery through recovery and rehabilitation. This recognition reflects the work our teams do every day to provide safe, consistent, evidence-based care centered on the needs of each patient.”
The Joint Commission review evaluates every stage of the patient experience, from preoperative planning and surgery to hospitalization, rehabilitation, and recovery. The accreditation provides independent validation of the quality, consistency, and coordination of care delivered through the UTMB Health orthopedic program at the League City Campus.
Sydney Caperton, manager of UTMB bariatrics and orthopedics service lines, said the designation reflects the work of physicians, nurses, rehabilitation specialists, and other team members who support patients throughout the joint replacement process.
“Joint replacement is a process that begins well before surgery and continues after the patient leaves the hospital,” said Joshua Gary, MD, chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation at UTMB. “Our orthopedic team works closely with the many other professionals involved in patient care to help patients move through that process safely and get back to the activities that matter most to them.”
The accreditation further strengthens orthopedic services at UTMB Health and supports ongoing efforts to expand access to specialty care in the growing League City and Bay area communities.