Trident Surgery Center First in Nation for Carpal Tunnel Surgery Certification

Charleston, S.C. / September 29, 2009 – Trident Health System’s Surgery Center is the first facility in the nation to earn certification in carpal tunnel surgery from The Joint Commission, which evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 health care organizations in the country. Trident Surgery Center spent about a year on the process to receive this disease-specific certification for carpal tunnel syndrome.

To earn this distinction, a disease management program undergoes an extensive, unannounced, ?on-site evaluation by a team of Joint Commission reviewers every two years. Becoming certified means the center achieves a full continuum of care that includes the patients, the physician’s offices and the community as well as an educational component on how to prevent hand injuries, explains Sherri Hill, a registered nurse and risk manager for Trident Surgery Center.

“This certification means Trident Surgery Center does the right things and does them well for carpal tunnel patients,” says Jean E. Range, M.S., R.N., C.P.H.Q., executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, Joint Commission.

Dr. Jon DeVries, an orthopaedic surgeon with Trident Health System, was the physician champion for the certification. He conducts a majority of the hand surgeries along with Drs. Timothy Allen and Reginald Brooker, who are both with Trident Health System.

“Trident Surgery Center voluntarily pursued this comprehensive, independent evaluation to enhance the safety and quality of care we provide,” Hill says.
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.


Trident Surgery Center is a multi-specialty freestanding outpatient ambulatory surgery center that provides services for surgeons specializing in burns, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, gynecological surgery, otolaryngology surgery, pain management, plastic surgery, and retinal surgery since 1993.  Trident Eye Surgery Center is a freestanding outpatient ambulatory surgery center specializing in cataract surgery since 1999.

Trident Health System is an HCA hospital system comprised of two acute care hospitals – Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center – as well as Moncks Corner Medical Center.  Accredited by The Joint Commission, Trident Health System is committed to providing quality health services along with wellness information and opportunities to the communities it serves. For more information about Trident Health System, please visit our website at www.tridenthealthsystem.com or call 843.797.7000.