St. Elizabeth's Hospital issued the following announcement on Feb. 17.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois has selected HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement, part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated healthcare facilities shown to deliver improved patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies with input from the medical community.
Knee and hip replacement procedures are among the fastest growing medical treatments in the U.S., according to studies published in the June 2014 Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery1 and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons2.
Hospitals designated as Blue Distinction Centers for Knee and Hip Replacement demonstrate expertise in total knee and total hip replacement surgeries, resulting in fewer patient complications and hospital readmissions. Designated hospitals must also maintain national accreditation.
HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is proud to be recognized by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois for meeting the robust selection criteria for knee and hip replacements set by the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.
“St. Elizabeth’s is thrilled to be selected by Blue Cross and Blue Shield as a Blue Distinction Center for Total Hip and Knee replacement surgery,” said nurse manager Cheryl Tindall, BSN. “Quality and patient safety are at the forefront of our care and by meeting the rigorous selection criteria set by the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program, patients can be confident in choosing St. Elizabeth’s for their surgery. We commend our staff for their commitment to continuous quality improvement, positive health outcomes for patients, and overall staff and patient safety,” said Tindall.
Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality providers for their specialty care needs in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, knee and hip replacements, maternity care, spine surgery and transplants, while encouraging healthcare professionals to improve the care they deliver.
“Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is proud to offer this important recognition,” said Derek Robinson, MD, MBA, FACEP, CHCQM, chief medical officer, BCBSIL. “It’s one of the ways we’re partnering with members, employers, providers and communities to help achieve their health goals.”
For more information about the program and for a complete listing of the designated facilities, please visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.
1 J Bone Joint Surg Am, The Role of Overweight and Obesity in Relation to the More Rapid Growth of Total Knee Arthroplasty Volume Compared with Total Hip Arthroplasty Volume, 2014 Jun 04; 96 (11): 922 -928. http://dx.doi.org/10.2106/JBJS.L.01731
2 American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, Annual Incidents of Common Musculoskeletal Procedures and Treatment, 2014 March; http://www.aaos.org/research/stats/CommonProceduresTreatments-March2014.pdf
Original source can be found here.
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