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A number of local hospitals have been designated as Blue Distinction® Centers (BDC) or Blue Distinction Centers+ (BDC+) for Spine Surgery and Knee and Hip Replacements by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS) as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.
Blue Distinction Center Specialty Programs identify hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) that demonstrate expertise in patient safety, deliver better health outcomes, and are more cost-effective. Quality assessments are based on objective measures developed from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s (BCBSA) partnership with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).
"The dedication of our provider partners to ensuring patients receive exceptional care is truly commendable," said Matt All, president/CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas. "Each facility recognized as a Blue Distinction Center meets stringent quality standards across all aspects of spine surgery or knee and hip replacements, thereby delivering superior care to our members and all Kansans."
BCBSKS is proud to recognize the following BDC and BDC+ facilities:
BDC are facilities that deliver quality care, safely and effectively. They include:
Knee and Hip Replacements
AdventHealth Ottawa, Ottawa
Labette County Medical Center, Parsons
LMH Health, Lawrence
Salina Regional Health Center, Salina
Stormont Vail Hospital, Topeka
University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus, Topeka
Spine Surgery
NMC Health, Newton
BDC+ are facilities that deliver quality care, safely and effectively, in addition to demonstrating more affordable care. BDC+ designated facilities also achieve cost savings of 23% for spine surgery and 30% for knee and hip replacements compared to all other facilities for these specialty care areas. They include:
Knee and Hip Replacements
Kansas Surgery and Recovery Center, Wichita
NMC Health, Newton
Pratt Regional Medical Center, Pratt
Spine Surgery
Labette County Medical Center, Parsons
Salina Regional Health Center, Salina
University of Kansas Health Systems St Francis Campus, Topeka
Facilities designated under the Knee and Hip Replacement and Spine Surgery programs demonstrate higher-quality care compared to non-Blue Distinction Center facilities, with an average of 28% fewer readmissions and 29% fewer complications within 90 days after spine surgery and 21% fewer readmissions and 21% fewer complications within 90 days of knee and hip replacement surgery.
Patients treated at designated facilities benefit from the expertise and advanced practices that lead to improved recovery times and reduced complications making a positive difference in their overall health journey.
