BCBS Awards Blue Distinction Designation to Some Facilities

Mar. 24, 2010

Blue Cross Blue Shield has added Spine Surgery, and Hip and Knee Replacement Surgery Centers to Blue Distinction Facilities.  Blue Cross Blue Shield awards Blue Distinction designations to facilities that have demonstrated a commitment to quality care by meeting objective, evidence-based thresholds for clinical quality and safety developed with input from expert clinicians and leading professional organizations.  

Blue Cross Blue Shield has now added Blue Distinction designations for spine surgery and hip and knee replacement surgery.

The selection criteria used to evaluate facilities were developed with input from a panel of expert physicians and medical organizations.  To be designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement or a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery, the following types of criteria were evaluated.  

• Established acute care inpatient facility, including intensive care, emergency care, and a full range of patient support services with full accreditation by a CMS-deemed national accreditation organization
• Experience and training of program surgeons, including case volume
• Quality management programs, including surgical checklists as well as tracking and evaluation of clinical outcomes and process of care
• Multi-disciplinary clinical pathways and teams to coordinate and streamline care, including transitions of care
• Shared decision making and preoperative patient education

Blue Distinction specialty center designations now span six areas:

• Bariatric Surgery
• Cardiac Care
• Complex and Rare Cancers
• Knee and Hip Replacement
• Spine Surgery Transplants

If you would like more information, go to the BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois website.