MountainStar Healthcare’s Lone Peak Hospital recently earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for the management of spine surgery, hip replacement, and knee replacement by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care.
Dr. Michael Steinhaus – a fellowship-trained spine surgeon who operates at Lone Peak Hospital and specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery for patients with cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine disorders – joined FOX13’s The PLACE on Wednesday to discuss the new certifications and what is required to obtain them.
The MountainStar Healthcare Draper facility underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review in September 2025. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with related certification standards including quality improvement processes and pre-operative preparation for patients. Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewers also conducted onsite observations and interviews.
“These certifications are a testament to the entire team of caregivers – from surgeons and anesthesiologists to nurses, technicians and beyond – who work so well together every day to ensure surgical patients receive the safest, highest-quality care,” Dr. Steinhaus explained. “When you’re having any surgery performed, you should do the research! You should feel calm and confident knowing that the hospital and every member of the team is working for your benefit and the best possible patient outcome.”
RELATED: Undergoing Cervical Spine Surgery with the Orthopedic Clinic at St. Mark’s Hospital
The certification recognizes health care organizations that provide clinical programs across the continuum of care for spine and joint replacement surgeries. The certification evaluates how organizations use clinical outcomes and performance measures to identify opportunities to improve care, as well as to educate and prepare patients and their caregivers for discharge.
“Certificates of Distinction recognize health care organizations committed to striving for excellence and fostering continuous improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Ken Grubbs, DNP, MBA, RN, executive vice president of Accreditation and Certification Operations and chief nursing officer, Joint Commission. “We commend Lone Peak Hospital for using Joint Commission’s certification process to reduce variation in clinical processes and to strengthen its clinical program to drive safer, higher quality and more compassionate care for individuals served.”
The Joint Commission (TJC) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits more than 20,000 healthcare programs and organizations across the U.S. The commission’s goal is to ensure quality healthcare for patients, prevent harm, and improve patient advocacy.
TJC’s certification program provides an opportunity for multidisciplinary teams to collaborate in enhancing patient experience and improving clinical outcomes. It promotes alignment across the healthcare delivery system, ensuring all stakeholders work toward a shared goal of high-quality, patient-centered care. Multidisciplinary teams include surgeons, anesthesiologists, pharmacists, physical therapists, case managers, operating room staff, floor nurses, quality leaders, and other care team members.
“By fostering collaboration among these groups, organizations can standardize care and drive consistency throughout the patient journey,” Dr. Steinhaus added.
These teams focus on optimizing clinical care pathways, including preoperative preparation, patient education, discharge planning, surgical and inpatient experience, pain management, rehabilitation, and post-discharge follow-up.
Certifications by TJC provide healthcare organizations with a report card format for ease of understanding in healthcare consumers. Key performance metrics may include reductions in post-operative emergency room visits, revision rates, same-day physical therapy utilization, and overall patient experience. By targeting and improving these metrics, healthcare organizations can reduce costs while delivering better outcomes and ultimately enhancing patients’ quality of life.
Other MountainStar Healthcare hospitals also have similar certifications:
Lone Peak Hospital (Draper)
- TJC: Certificate of Distinction: Joint Replacement – Hip
- TJC: Certificate of Distinction: Joint Replacement – Knee
- TJC: Certificate of Distinction: Spine Surgery
Ogden Regional Medical Center (Ogden)
- TJC: Advanced Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement
- TJC: Certification of Distinction: Spine Surgery
St. Mark’s Hospital (Millcreek/Salt Lake City)
- TJC: Certificate of Distinction: Joint Replacement – Hip
- TJC: Certificate of Distinction: Joint Replacement – Knee
Timpanogos Regional Hospital (Orem)
- TJC: certificate of Distinction: Joint Replacement – Hip
- TJC: Certificate of Distinction: Joint Replacement – Knee
For more information, please visit Joint Commission website.
Spine Surgery & Conditions Treated
Dr. Michael Steinhaus says the goals of minimally invasive spine surgery are the same as those of traditional spine surgery – most often it’s to take pressure off the spinal nerves or fixing instability of the spine.
“The main difference is how we get there. The traditional approach is typically to make a big incision in the back and expose the spine by removing the muscle. With minimally invasive surgery, we use technology to allow us to see the spine without having to visualize everything with the naked eye. This allows us to make small incisions and often to use a surgical robot which allows us to stay as safe as possible,” Dr. Steinhaus said.
RELATED: Minimally Invasive & Robot Spine Surgery at MountainStar Healthcare's Lone Peak Hospital
Aside from smaller incisions, he adds, the main benefit of minimally invasive surgery is less pain, less blood loss, lower infection risk, and a shorter hospital stay, oftentimes meaning that patients can go home the same day of a surgery where previously they would have stayed in the hospital for several days.
For those with reservations about robotic surgery, Dr. Steinhaus likes to point out: “The robot is not a driverless car; it’s like using GPS.”
In general, there are two categories of patients who typically see great results with robotic spine surgery. They are:
- Patients who've experienced degenerative issues that have developed slowly, over time. These are generally older patients who are dealing with their body’s wear and tear.
- Patients of any age whose injuries are often the result of a single incident. These patients are sometimes athletes or people who have suffered an injury due to a traumatic event, like a car accident.
“We treat all conditions of the spine from the low back to the neck. Minimally invasive techniques can be used in all of these areas,” Dr. Steinhaus said.
Conditions include:
· Spinal Stenosis
· Spinal Cord Compression
· Degenerative Arthritis of the Spine
· Herniated Discs
· Fractures of the Spine
· Pinched Nerves
· Sports-Related Spine Injuries
· Instability of the Spine
“We like to have patients get back to doing what they want to do as quickly as possible, and often use physical therapy to build back muscle and get back to doing what they love,” Dr. Steinhaus said. “I tell my patients that they are a part of our family and to expect to see me at Thanksgiving!”
Dr. Steinhaus completed his undergraduate degree at Harvard University followed by medical school at Columbia University. He completed his residency and fellowship training at Hospital for Special Surgery. He has received numerous awards and been inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. He was also selected by the North American Spine Society (NASS) in their "20 Under 40" list of top spine surgeons in the country.
If you live with debilitating back pain, the spine specialists at MountainStar Healthcare's hospitals can help. Their spine care teams include experts in both orthopedic care and neurological care to ensure they deliver the type of care that is right for you. These physicians work closely with physical therapists and pain management specialists to return you to a more active and productive lifestyle.
Lone Peak Hospital
96 East 11800 South
Draper, UT 84020
If you have neck or back pain and would like to learn more information about spine surgery at Lone Peak Hospital, click here. Lone Peak Hospital is one of eight MountainStar Healthcare hospitals
