Virtua Voorhees Hospital is the first New Jersey facility to receive advanced certification in spine surgery – the highest level available.

The Joint Commission, a prestigious international accrediting agency, has awarded the Voorhees, N.J., hospital its Gold Seal of Approval® Advanced Certification in Spine Surgery (ACSS). This designation reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe, high-quality patient care.

"Advanced spine certification is recognition of our dedication to achieving the best possible patient outcomes and clinical excellence,” said Dr. James Sanfilippo, vice president of clinical operations for musculoskeletal services at Virtua Health.

“This certification encompasses patients’ full journey – from their first consultation with the surgeon, to their hospitalization or outpatient surgery admission, to their rehabilitation and follow-up for 90 days after surgery,” he explained. 

The certification process, conducted in collaboration with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, helps organizations provide consistent communication and collaboration among all health care providers involved in the care of the patient.

“We recognize the importance of collaboration to ensure our patients’ success before, during, and after their procedures,” said Dr. Sanfilippo. “Our surgeons, nurses, and rehab teams work closely together on behalf of each patient.”

To be eligible for ACSS, organizations must implement evidence-based care and clinical practice guidelines and participate in the American Spine Registry, a national quality-improvement registry for spine care. Additionally, organizations must collect performance measurement data on surgical site infection rates, new neurological deficits, unplanned return visits to the operating room, and pre-operative and post-operative patient-reported outcomes.

Leading-Edge Services
Virtua Health, South Jersey’s largest health system, has specialized in treating spine conditions, including those requiring complex surgeries, for more than a decade.

These conditions can include chronic back and leg pain caused by trauma, and spine deterioration due to aging, disc herniation, misaligned vertebrae, and even chemotherapy. These issues can cause pain, loss of mobility, and reduced quality of life.

Virtua is dedicated to offering state-of-the-art care, including minimally invasive and robotic-assisted spine procedures – building on its 20-plus years of robotic surgery experience. Robotic-assisted spine surgery is not widely available yet, and Virtua is one of the first in the country to offer this advance, which can enable faster recovery, fewer complications, and less pain after surgery.

The organization recently became the first in the Philadelphia/South Jersey region to combine robotic-assisted spine surgery with a GPS-like navigation system that enhances safety and enables better outcomes.

The navigation software allows surgeons to create “safe zones” where the surgical tools can be blocked from entering, minimizing the risk of damage to surrounding structures.

“The safe zones enable us to relieve pressure on compressed nerves more safely and efficiently,” said Dr. Sanfilippo, who is also a spine surgeon with Virtua Reconstructive Orthopedics.

Enhancing Access to Care
“We’re always on the lookout for new technology, tools and approaches that will benefit our patients,” Dr. Sanfilippo noted. “And we’re proud to provide this advanced care for our families, friends and neighbors, right here in South Jersey.”

He also emphasized that advanced age is not necessarily a barrier to spine surgery at Virtua.

“We can treat highly complex patients, regardless of age. We address issues such as diabetes or hypertension before surgery, so patients do as well as possible after surgery,” the physician explained.

The rigorous certification process helps ensure that Virtua Voorhees Hospital is well equipped to care of patients with complex needs, Dr. Sanfilippo noted.

For more information on spine care at Virtua, visit go.virtua.org/ortho or call 609-267-9400 .