Cooper University Health Care is proud to announce that it has received 2018 Star Performer recognition from the American Orthopaedic Association’s (AOA) Own the Bone® program. Cooper is one of approximately 230 health care institutions nationwide that have joined Own the Bone and taken initiatives to ensure their osteoporotic fracture patients receive the highest level of treatment and care.
Dr. Douglas S. Tase
“Through our participation in Own the Bone and recognition as an Own the Bone Star Performer, Cooper has demonstrated a commitment to helping patients understand their risk for future fractures and the steps they can take to prevent them,” says Douglas S. Tase, MD, orthopaedic surgeon at the Cooper Bone and Joint Institute, who championed the program at Cooper. “These types of fractures can often have devastating effects on patients. The Own the Bone Program gives us an opportunity to work with at-risk patients on an individualized basis to achieve better outcomes.”
A broken bone, also known as an osteoporotic or fragility fracture, is a serious complication of osteoporosis and often the first sign that a person has the disease, explained Dr. Tase. Unfortunately, only about 20 percent of the nearly two million individuals who experience fragility fractures each year are tested or treated for osteoporosis. Those fractures are costly, with nearly $18 billion in related costs every year. By 2025, experts predict those numbers to rise to nearly three million fractures and $25.3 billion in costs each year.
Failing to prevent future fractures can be deadly; nearly 25 percent of patients who suffer a hip fracture die within a year. The majority who do survive experience a loss of independence and often require long-term nursing home care.
To achieve this designation, Cooper had to achieve a 75 percent compliance rate with at least five of the 10 Own the Bone prevention measures that include educating patients on the importance of calcium and vitamin D, physical activity, fall prevention, limiting alcohol intake, quitting smoking, recommending and initiating bone mineral density testing, discussing pharmacotherapy and treatment (when applicable), and providing written communication to the patient and their physician regarding specific risk factors and treatment recommendations.
The program is aimed to better identify, evaluate, and treat patients that suffer from an osteoporotic or low bone density-related fracture. The program brings attention to the severe health implications of fragility fractures (broken bones that result from a fall from standing height or less) and the multi-faceted approach hospitals or clinics can incorporate to ensure these patients receive the most comprehensive care.
About Cooper Bone and Joint Institute
As South Jersey’s premier academic muscloskeletal center, the Cooper Bone and Joint Institute offers patients the full continuum of care. Our integrated team includes fellowship-trained and board-certified experts in orthopaedics, rheumatology, podiatry, and rehabilitation. From the prevention and diagnosis of degenerative joint disease or injury, to the latest surgical and non-surgical treatments and rehabilitation, patients can expect to receive comprehensive, world-class musculoskeletal care in one of our convenient locations. To learn more, click here.
####
Wendy A. Marano
Public Relations Manager
marano-wendy@cooperhealth.edu
856.382.6463