(HARTFORD, Conn., Jan,. 28, 2010) - Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Connecticut has designated Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement, part of the Association's expansion of the Blue Distinction® designation.
"As the highest volume provider of joint replacement surgery in Connecticut and the seventh largest program in the nation, we take pride in restoring motion and renewing vitality in our patients. This designation as a Blue Distinction Center is a confirmation of the skill and competence of our surgical team," said Robert McAllister, M.D., Co-Medical Director, Connecticut Joint Replacement Institute at Saint Francis.
"Blue Distinction Centers are places of clinical excellence where patients receive high-quality, cost-effective healthcare," said Eina G. Fishman, M.D., M.S., C.P.E., Medical Director, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Connecticut. "We're pleased Saint Francis has earned this status and will now join the list of other Blue Distinction Centers throughout Connecticut. and the country, that are providing Anthem members with in-network access to some of the very best healthcare available."
The selection criteria used to evaluate facilities were developed with input from a panel of expert physicians. To be designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement, the criteria below were evaluated. More information on selection criteria is available at www.bcbs.com:
- 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 with 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
The Blue Distinction designation is awarded by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality healthcare in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, spine surgery and transplants, and now, knee and hip replacements. The program is part of The Blues® efforts to collaborate with physicians and medical facilities to improve the overall quality and safety of specialty care.
The additional Blue Distinction Centers for Knee and Hip Replacement designations will bring this nation's number of Blue Distinction Centers to more than 1,600 - and the number is expected to increase in the coming years.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Anthem Health Plans, Inc., an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association®. ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut is available at www.anthem.com.
Founded in 1897, Saint Francis is a major teaching hospital licensed for 617 acute inpatient beds and 65 bassinets. It is the largest Catholic hospital in New England.