Northern Hospital of Surry County will be holding a free open house of the Joint Replacement Center at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

The Joint Replacement Center is a unit dedicated to the care of patients undergoing total knee or total hip replacements. Patients recover in the Racing to Recovery themed-center in an environment that emphasizes wellness, socialization, and maximizes patient recovery efforts, according to information released by the hospital. Experts from the center will leaders visitors on a tour through the unit and answer questions about joint replacement. Light refreshments will be served.

More than 700,000 total knee and total hip replacements are performed each year in the United States, helping people suffering from osteoarthritis achieve a better quality of life, free from debilitating pain. About 300 total joint replacement surgeries are performed at Northern Hospital every year, and more than 90 percent of patients are discharged directly to home, according to the hospital.

Northern is a designated Blue Distinction Center for knee and hip replacements as awarded by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering healthcare in the area of knee and hip replacement, spine surgery and transplants. The program is part of the insurance company’s efforts to collaborate with physicians and medical facilities to improve the overall quality and safety of specialty care.

The tour will meet at 2 p.m. in the main lobby at Northern Hospital, 830 Rockford St. in Mount Airy. Following a presentation by the orthopedic surgeon staff, tours of the center will be provided.