Look Who it Was Random video

A Leg Up On Joint Replacement

112 views · Published 18 January 2015 · 2:07 · Indexed 25 October 2026

Channel: Lee Health · 2015 · Science & Technology

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Part of Lisa Looney’s job is making the rounds; checking on patients recovering from joint replacement surgery at Lee Memorial Hospital. 

“Yes, I try to make rounds on every patient that comes in and try to individualize a plan for them at that time,” says Looney, an orthopedic nurse navigator with Lee Memorial Health System. 

Theodore Ladieu is one day out from a hip replacement. He’s had joint work done before up north, but didn’t have access to someone like Lisa.

“Most hospitals don’t think of that and set up an orderly process. They can anticipate what the patients are going to need. So having a navigator is kind of unique in my experience,” says Ladieu. 

Based on the success of cancer navigators, which guide patients through their cancer care, orthopedic navigators are now showing up in more health care settings - hoping to replicate outcomes with ortho patients.

“We want the patient to be very well educated on the process, so we find if patients know what’s going to happen, there’s no surprises, they know what’s going to happen and they do much better,” says Looney. 

The navigator is an extra layer of care, following people on their joint journey, making sure they have everything they need before they even get to the hospital.

“We would like to have contact with the patient very early on, after they have made the decision to have the surgery, so that I can help them go down that path before they go into surgery,” says Looney. 

“They were pretty much in constant contact with me,” says Ann Sell. 

Ann Sell leaned on the navigator program during her hip replacement five months ago. 

“They would call me and ask me how I was doing and tell me all the steps that I needed to do, like some blood work that needed to be done before surgery,” says Sell. 

The added support streamlined the process, giving Ann the security she needed.

“My surgery was so successful, I went hiking out in Utah. I’m doing things that I haven’t been able to do in a couple of years. Which is just a blessing,” says Sell. 

The orthopedic navigator: giving patients a leg up on their joint replacement.

View More Health Matters video segments at leememorial.org/healthmatters/

Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

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