UHS Spine Surgery Program earns Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval

For immediate release
Contact: Carrie Davis, Vice President of Communications and Marketing
(607) 762-2804 | carrie.davis@nyuhs.org
Date: January 23, 2025

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Binghamton, NY – UHS is the first program in Upstate New York to earn the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Core Certification in Spine Surgery by demonstrating continuous compliance with Joint Commission performance standards, placing the program among a select group of hospitals nationwide to achieve excellence in spine care.

The Joint Commission –an independent, non-profit organization that accredits and certifies healthcare organizations and programs in the United States – offers this certification in collaboration with the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

UHS has worked rigorously to achieve this certification. Last year, a multidisciplinary team was formed under the leadership of Simone Betchen, MD, Chief of Neurosciences at UHS. The team includes representatives from various patient care areas, including Nursing, Quality Management and Neurosurgery, along with other integral members of the UHS Spine Surgery Program. Their efforts concentrated on several key initiatives aimed at providing evidenced-based care and treatment plans, enhancing patient satisfaction, and improving patient education programs.

“Earning the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Core Certification in Spine Surgery underscores the commitment of the UHS Spine Surgery Program to deliver high-quality, compassionate care to our community,” according to Simone Betchen, MD, Chief of Neurosciences, UHS Neurosurgery. “At UHS, we offer comprehensive operative and non-operative spine care that is evidence-based and tailored to each patient's needs. We pursued this certification to externally validate the quality of our care and enhance our ability to provide the level of care our community deserves.”

The UHS Spine Surgery Program is part of the Neurosciences service line, featuring the UHS Neurosurgery team, advanced practice providers, healthcare providers, therapists, and nurses. This program assists patients in identifying the most suitable treatment options, including non-operative spine care and pain management, physical medicine, rehabilitation and surgical care. Patients benefit from access to cutting-edge surgical technologies and imaging equipment at UHS.

To learn more about the UHS Spine Surgery Program and the UHS Neurosurgery team, click here.

The Gold Seal, provided to UHS and the Spine Surgery Program, is a symbol of quality that reflects the healthcare organization’s commitment to providing safe, quality patient care and recognizes organizations that provide consistent communication and collaboration among all providers throughout the patient care process. Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with healthcare experts and providers, measurement experts, and patients.

About United Health Services, Inc. (UHS)

United Health Services, Inc. (UHS) is a locally owned, not-for-profit hospital and healthcare system serving Greater Binghamton and surrounding counties. Founded in 1981, UHS provides a full range of medical, surgical, rehabilitative and long-term care services throughout New York’s Southern Tier. United Health Services, Inc., and the members of the UHS System neither are affiliated with, sponsored, endorsed or approved by, nor otherwise associated with, Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE: UHS), UHS of Delaware, Inc., nor their affiliates.

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