Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) recently announced that it has designated Westerly Hospital as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement, which is part of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s expansion of its Blue Distinction® designation.
"We are pleased to be honored as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement,” said Margaret Austin, Chief Nursing Office and Vice President of Patient Care Services for The Westerly Hospital. “This designation demonstrates the commitment and dedication to quality care shown every day by the doctors, nurses and staff at The Westerly Hospital. It’s also consistent with our goal of continuing to be recognized as a healthcare leader in our community and region. ”
Since 2006, the Blue Distinction program has recognized facilities that meet objective, evidence-based thresholds for clinical quality, developed in collaboration with expert physicians and medical organizations. The program provides BCBSRI members with a credible means of identifying hospitals that meet their individual healthcare needs for select procedures and conditions.
“BCBSRI is committed to working collaboratively with physicians and hospitals to raise the quality of healthcare in our state,” said James E. Purcell, president and CEO of BCBSRI. “The Blue Distinction designation identifies institutions that lead the way in delivering positive outcomes, and we congratulate Westerly Hospital on their designation as a provider of high-quality healthcare services.”
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® 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 for Westerly Hospital will bring the nation’s number of Blue Distinction designations, for all healthcare areas, to more than 1,600—and this number is expected to increase in the coming years.