DOYLESTOWN HOSPITAL DESIGNATED AS A BLUE DISTINCTION CENTER FOR KNEE AND HIP REPLACEMENT
02/15/2010
Doylestown Hospital Has Been Designated as a
a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement(SM).
DOYLESTOWN - Independence Blue Cross of southeastern Pennsylvania has designated Doylestown Hospital as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement(SM). Blue Distinction Centers for Knee and Hip Replacement are part of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association's expansion of its Blue Distinction(r) designation.
"Our highly skilled team of orthopedic specialists offer advanced procedures in a community hospital setting, which provide the best possible outcomes and patient satisfaction," said Scott Levy, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Doylestown Hospital. "Every member of the team focuses on providing the highest level of care, not only as it relates to the joint replacement surgery; but for the patient's complete well being- starting before their surgery, throughout their hospital stay and well into rehabilitation."
Doylestown Hospital offers comprehensive knee and hip replacement services, including total joint replacement and gender-specific knee replacement. Although knee and hip replacement are the most common, joint replacement can also be performed on shoulders, elbows wrists, fingers and ankles. Our specialists are skilled in reconstructive and arthroscopic surgery, sports medicine and general orthopedic care, and outpatient services include everything from sophisticated sports medicine and rehabilitation all the way to delicate hand surgery and osteoporosis treatment.
"Blue Distinction Centers show our commitment to working with doctors and hospitals in communities across the country to identify leading institutions that meet clinically validated quality standards and deliver better overall outcomes in patient care," said Allan Korn, MD, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Chief Medical Officer.
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 following types of criteria were evaluated. More information on selection criteria is available on 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 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
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, knee and hip replacement, spine surgery and transplants. The program is part of The Blues(r) 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 designation will bring the nation's number of Blue Distinction designations to more than 1,600-and this number is expected to increase in the coming years.
Note: Designation as Blue Distinction Centers means these facilities' overall experience and aggregate data met objective criteria established in collaboration with expert clinicians' and leading professional organizations' recommendations. Individual outcomes may vary. To find out which services are covered under your policy at any facilities, please call your local Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield Plan.
