At Valley, the goal is to make each patient’s total joint replacement surgery experience as stress-free as possible. “When a patient hears from their orthopedic physician, ‘It’s time to have that joint replaced,’ there tends to be anxiety about what surgery will entail,” said O’Herlihy. “My job is to ease those fears by answering questions, providing education and evaluating individualized needs to set safe and effective post-operative goals. My priority is to ensure patients and their families are prepared, informed and are provided with exceptional care and service throughout the entire process.”
O’Herlihy also helps facilitate Valley’s pre-operative education class, which prepares patients for the surgery ahead. “Patients can meet the team, ask questions and learn more about what to expect,” she said. "As a result, they feel better informed about their surgery and prepared to recover for a more active life.”
Valley’s Total Joint Replacement Center has been recognized by The Joint Commission, U.S. News and World Report and Healthgrades for excellence in joint replacement surgery. The team works with patients, families and primary care physicians to provide care through pre- to post-operative services. These services include prehabilitation, a unique conditioning program completed prior to surgery, and Valley Home Care’s Steps Ahead program, which offers in-home post-operative rehabilitation, pain management and assistance.
Each day, O’Herlihy is proud to help patients on their journeys to healthier lives. “Prior to surgery, patients are in pain, limited in their activities and feeling uncertain about the future," she said. "After their surgeries and recoveries, it is truly fulfilling to learn how they are enjoying life again.”
For more information, please contact Marcella O’Herlihy, RN, at 201-251-3317.