Shamokin -- Dr. Thomas Dominick, an orthopaedic surgeon at Shamokin Area Community Hospital, is almost nostalgic when he recalls what it was like four years ago, when his department, the Center for Joint Replacement, was just getting started.

"We knew there was a need for this medical service," he said. "But until we opened our doors we weren't exactly sure how the community would react. In those early days, we averaged about two surgeries a day. Right now, four years later, we're having as many as five surgeries a day and we have to start thinking about opening up another day for these kinds of procedures."

Last week, more than 100 former patients and their families gathered in SACH's cafeteria to celebrate the fourth anniversary of the opening of the department, and judging by their enthusiasm, the Joing Replacement group has more than fulfilled its stated mission.

SACH's Center for Joint Replacement, on the second floor of the hospital, is dedicated to the surgical care and rehabilitation of patients requiring joint replacement surgery.

"What did it take to get this Joint Replacement Center off the ground?" said SACH president and CEO Thomas R. Harlow. "It took a lot of teamwork and collaboration among all of the disciplines in the hospital, be it nursing, therapy, social services, food service, house keeping. Really, every department has an impact here at the hospital and how well the Joint Center functions. So it was a collective effort among all those individual departments.

"The idea for starting the clinic germinated long before I came to the hospital," Harlow said. "It began with a group of people trying to identify a way to educate patients with joint problems upfront, as to what to expect, and to coordinate the care from start to finish: not only the pre-procedure education but the post-operative rehabilitation is important. We had to put the entire program together so that there was good continuity of care throughout the entire process."

What kind of services do the doctors provide?

"We do all the state of the art latest approaches, which is the minimally invasive approach to total hip surgery," Dominick said. "We use state-of-the-art componentry. There are certainly new and improved designs and materials. Every time I think medical technicians can't improve upon equipment, they do. There are so many options available to us now that we didn't have years ago. Hopefully to improve the longevity of the joint.

"The average age of a joint replacement patient has decreased over time," he said. "It used to be people in their 70s. Now, it's people in their 60s. And they want to remain active. They don't just want to sit around in chairs. This need to be active as they get older is driving the technology business."

As he talked, Dominick was surrounded by patients he's known over the years. "It's very gratifying to see them so healthy. And smiling," he said. "It's nice to know that I've helped them improve the quality of their lives."