My name is Dr. C. Michael Kelly.

"At the Joint Replacement Center, we have excellent doctors and nurses, but what really sets us apart is our patient education. We offer seminars, tours web sites, videos and an interactive resource center – Why? Because we know patients want to get involved in the decisions affecting their health. "My name is Dr. Kelly. I’m an orthopaedic surgeon at Alegent Health, where my goal is to listen to patients and share information in terms they can understand.  You have my pledge on it."

When her tap shoes are tapping, her cane is twirling and her costume is glittering, the last thing you’d notice about Pauline Landman is her right knee. But that’s exactly what became an increasing preoccupation when severe arthritis in Landman’s knee threatened to keep her from performing with the Dancing Grannies, a non-profit dance group made up of talented seniors like Landman, 83.

Landman had expected her physician to ease the pain with injections or medication, so she was surprised when he recommended she undergo a knee replacement at the Alegent Health Joint Replacement Center. "I was a little bit worried," she said, "especially when he told me I wouldn’t be able to dance for six months."

The first step in easing her fears was attending the Joint Replacement Center'spre-surgery class, where a nurse educator explains every element of the surgery and recovery. "She showed us how we would get up after the surgery, how to get in the tub, how to go up and down stairs without using your knee. It really gave me peace of mind," said Landman.

Even the surgery and recovery were better than Landman expected. Her caregivers at the Joint Replacement Center treated her "like a member of the family," she said. And, since patients go through initial recovery as a group, she felt motivated to work harder and progress faster than she would have done alone.

"It was as fun as it could possibly be," she said, thinking back on the experience.

Landman even surprised her physician by returning to her dancing three months after the surgery. "Only the easy steps. Not any bouncing," she insists, lest he scold her for bucking his orders. Today, Landman is back on stage and having fun dancing again. Tap, tap, swirl, glitter. No one ever notices the knee.

ORTHOPAEDIC INSTITUTE
The Alegent Health Orthopaedic Institute delivers quality care and excellent service, serving more than 35,000 patients each year – more than any other health system in the region. Our Joint Replacement Center has earned a Premier Distinguished Award for Quality and is considered a model by healthcare professionals around the world. We also offer highly specialized care for back and spine, joints, hand, upper limb, shoulder, foot and ankle disorders. Patients consistently rank their quality of care well above national averages, increasing from 84.43 in 2002 to 91.66 this year.