Joint Journey Recovery Program Offered at Mercy

A dedicated Joint Journey Coordinator acts as an advocate for each patient throughout the joint replacement treatment process. The coordinator helps patients manage their individual needs beginning when the patient and orthopedic surgeon decide that a hip or knee replacement is the best treatment option to help get the patient back to daily activities. The Joint Journey Coordinator is available to answer patients’ questions and ease their concerns.
Mercy’s Joint Journey Coordinator:

• Coordinates hospital care by maintaining communication with the orthopedic surgeon, nurses, and rehabilitation team
• Coordinates a discharge plan, including provision of equipment needs, therapy, nursing care, if needed, and other resource needs

When the orthopedic surgeon and patient decide that a hip or knee replacement is the best treatment option, the patient:

• Receives a Joint Navigation Journal that explains the entire joint replacement process from surgery preparation to post-surgical follow-up
• Is encouraged to choose a family member or friend to act as a “coach” through the hospital stay and recovery process
• Attends The Joint Journey at Mercy pre-operative class during which the joint replacement process is explained in detail. Patients are encouraged to bring their “coaches” to the class. The Joint Journey Coordinator is available to answer any questions pertaining to the joint replacement procedures and hospital stays.

After the hip or knee replacement, patients recover in the award-winning Mary Catherine Bunting Center, Mercy's Main Hospital. The Bunting Center has a floor dedicated to the specific needs of orthopedic patients. A special feature on The Bunting Center Orthopedic Floor is the Joint Gym, a dedicated rehabilitation gym equipped for patients requiring physical and occupational therapy. The nurses and staff on The Bunting Orthopedic Floor are specifically trained to care for patients who have had orthopedic surgery.

While recovering from joint replacement surgery in The Bunting Center at Mercy, patients:

• Wear their regular clothes while in the hospital
• Participate in an intensive rehabilitation process that prepares them for a safe transition to home
• Participate in group activities, including group physical therapy, group luncheons and discharge education classes
• Receive daily newsletters to explain the day’s activities

Following discharge from the hospital, patients can contact The Joint Journey Coordinator if they have any questions or concerns. Patients and their coaches are invited to a Joint Journey Reunion Luncheon a few months following surgery. Patients and coaches enjoy lunch and discuss their hip and knee replacement experiences and progress.