Originally published in the Daily Nonpareil

Sharon Kelderman knows how important it is to be on the move.

The grandmother of five served as a nurse for 44 years before retiring from a hospital in Manning. She also knows about joint replacement as several members of her family have required new hips and knees.

Kelderman has had surgery to replace three joints at Alegent Health Mercy Hospital. She had surgery on Jan. 30 this year to replace her right knee, which followed previous surgeries to replace both hips. And while that might seem like a lot to some, she sees it as a relief.

"I couldn't go up and down stairs," said Kelderman. "Any position I was in, it could be difficult and painful to move."

When she first sought help for her joints, she turned to trusted physician, Kent Boese, M.D., a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon with Miller Orthopaedic Affiliates. Kelderman had worked alongside Dr. Boese when he operated on a patient in Manning. And when he told her joint replacement was in her future, she knew she could trust him.

Kelderman also knew she could trust the Joint Replacement Center at Mercy Hospital. Her mother had her joint replacement there.

"They've got a system there, and it really works," she said. "I've never seen anyplace that equals what they have there, it's just excellent. Mercy is the best."

The Joint Replacement Center at Mercy Hospital, western Iowa's only Magnet-designated hospital, has been recognized as a center of excellence dedicated to the care of total knee and hip replacement patients. It offers a unique approach where patients come to an environment that emphasizes wellness, socialization and maximizing recovery efforts.

The Center's team of specialists includes specially trained and experienced board-certified orthopedic surgeons, nurses, orthopedic technicians and physical and occupational therapists. The team meets monthly to discuss the latest in joint replacement.

Marcia Weis, R.N., a program coordinator, works with patients both before and after their surgeries and remembers Kelderman as someone who "really had done her homework." "Her knowledge of the procedure allowed her to have input into her care plan."

Kelderman may not realize it, but she has one other doctor to thank for her care, the late Ronald Miller. M.D. He was a driving force behind the creation of the Joint Replacement Center program.

"Dr. Miller was instrumental in helping us develop the joint replacement program at Mercy Hospital, including the education before and after surgery and incorporating group physical therapy during the hospital stay," said Marie Knedler, Alegent Health vice president and chief operating officer at Mercy Hospital.

"Dr. Miller's legacy, and that of all the medical professionals that have worked to create this center of excellence, lives on in the patients who walk out of our hospital each day."

Dr. Miller and four others, Elaine and Bob Fenner, Chuck Smith and Gary Faust, will be honored at the 2012 Heritage Awards hosted by Mercy Hospital on Saturday, March 24, at Harrah's Grand Ballroom in Council Bluffs.

Money raised from the Heritage Awards Dinner last year helped fund professional devel-opment opportunities that clinicians and nurses, like Weis, used to attend conferences in their specialty area. The staff who attend can then bring back that information to Mercy and share it with their peers, continuing to improve care in the community.

Kelderman can speak to that, having had her positive experiences at Mercy.

"It's wonderful," she said. "It makes all the difference in the world. I tell people who asked me that if they need it, they should have it done sooner than later."