SARANAC LAKE — Adirondack Health was recently certified by the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program as a comprehensive joint replacement center, one of the first health systems in the country to receive the designation.

“As more patients seek joint replacement surgeries and the number of procedures performed rises, it is vital to articulate our commitment to patient safety through certification,” said Dr. Bart Szczech, Adirondack Health’s director of joint replacement surgery at Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake. Szczech, an orthopaedic surgeon with Lake Placid Sports Medicine, is a member of the HFAP Joint Arthroplasty Technical Panel and helped establish the national certification standards.

Joint replacement will become the most common elective surgical procedure in the next few decades, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. In 2010, an estimated 7 million Americans had a total hip or knee replacement, and by 2030 that number is expected to reach 11 million Americans. The report outlines several factors leading to the increase in procedures, including an aging Baby Boomer population, high rates of diagnosis and treatment of arthritis, and increasing demand for improved mobility and quality of life. Further, many individuals are undergoing the procedures at a younger age, looking to maintain an active lifestyle in retirement.

To learn more about the orthopaedic surgical procedures provided at Adirondack Medical Center, visit https://www.adirondackhealth.org/services-conditions/orthopedics.