Cooper University Health Care is proud to announce that it has received the 2022-2023 Star Performer recognition from the American Orthopaedic Association’s (AOA) Own the Bone® program for the sixth year in a row. Cooper is one of approximately 280 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.
“Cooper’s participation in the Own the Bone quality improvement program helps to close the osteoporosis treatment gap and prevent secondary fragility fractures in our patients,” said Jack Shilling, MD, Medical Director of the Cooper Bone and Joint Institute and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University.
More than 10 million people over age 50 in the U.S. are estimated to have osteoporosis. The condition results in diminished bone strength, and fractures are often the first sign that a person has the disease. Unfortunately, fewer than half of patients receive the recommended osteoporosis care following a fracture. Failing to prevent future fractures can be deadly; nearly 25% 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.
The program aims to better identify, evaluate, and treat patients who 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.
“As an Own the Bone Star Performer, Cooper has demonstrated a commitment to helping patients understand their risk for ‘fragility’ fractures and the steps they can take to prevent them,” Dr. Shilling said. “These types of fractures can often have devastating effects on patients. We are proud of our work and are grateful that the Own the Bone program gives us an opportunity to work with at-risk patients on an individualized basis to achieve better outcomes.”
To achieve this designation, Cooper had to achieve a 75% compliance rate with at least five of the 10 Own the Bone prevention measures, based on patients screened and entered into the registry during the preceding 12-month period.