Mon Health Medical Center is proud to be recognized by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Knee and Hip Replacement, part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program for meeting the robust selection criteria for knee and hip replacements set by the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.
Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated health care facilities that show a commitment to delivering high-quality patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed with input from the medical community and leading accreditation and quality organizations.
“Providing the safest, highest quality care is at the heart of all we do at Mon Health Medical Center,” said Mark Gilliam, Chief Administration Officer at Mon Health Medical Center. “Blue Distinction Center designations are further evidence of our physicians, nurses and staff’s commitment to providing high-quality patient centered care across the communities we serve,” said Gilliam.
Facilities 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 facilities include hospitals (with and without an onsite Intensive Care Unit) and Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASC). All designated facilities must maintain national accreditation. In addition to meeting these quality thresholds, hospitals designated as Blue Distinction Centers+ are on average 20 percent more cost-efficient in an episode of care compared to other facilities.
Knee and hip replacement procedures remain some of the most commonly performed, elective surgical procedures in the U.S., according to a 2018 study released by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. In 2014 there were 370,770 total hip replacements and 680,150 total knee replacements1.
Quality is key: only those facilities that first meet nationally established, objective quality measures will be considered for designation as a Blue Distinction Center+.
“The Blue Distinction program gives Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia members the ability to choose their providers based upon reliable quality and safety information. It also provides a pathway for exceptional Providers to demonstrate their value, and delivers the kind of transparency necessary for members to make informed value-driven health care decisions. We congratulate our Blue Distinction Specialty Care Providers on their accomplishment and thank our members for choosing Highmark BCBS West Virginia”, said Dr. Charles DeShazer, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Highmark Health Plan.
For more information about the program and for a complete listing of designated facilities, visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.
