SSM St. Mary’s Health Center treats joint replacement patients different than our other patients. We make sure they know that they are not sick. Staff and patients call the Knee and Hip Center the Joint Camp because of its focus on speedy recovery and wellness.

What sets the Joint Camp apart?

• Patients can check in the night before surgery so they don’t have to find an early ride to the Health Center.
• Private rooms aid speedy recovery.
• Patients can socialize and exercise together in physical therapy, located just down the hall from their rooms.
• Most patients walk on a walker the day after their surgery.
• A hairstylist on the floor offers shaves and haircuts before patients go home.
• The Joint Camp offers patient and family education sessions

All of those elements create a unit where patients need less medication and go home sooner than the national average.