Pardee UNC Health Care Earns Blue Distinction® Center+ Designation for Quality and Cost-Efficiency in Knee and Hip Replacement Surgeries
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) has selected Pardee UNC Health Care as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Knee and Hip Replacement, part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated health care facilities shown to deliver improved patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies with input from the medical community.
Knee and hip replacement procedures are among the fastest growing medical treatments in the U.S., according to studies published in the June 2014 Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery1 and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons1.
Hospitals 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 hospitals must also 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 hospitals. Only those facilities that first meet nationally established, objective quality measures will be considered for designation as a Blue Distinction Center+.
“Pardee UNC Health Care is proud to be recognized by Blue Cross NC for meeting the robust selection criteria for knee and hip replacements set by the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program,” said James M. Kirby, II, president and CEO for Pardee UNC Health Care. “The orthopedic surgical team and staff that works at the Pardee Center for Joint Replacement are focused on maintaining and restoring our patients’ independence, mobility and quality of life. When patients choose an orthopedic surgeon that practices at Pardee, they will experience an overall focus on quality and a desire to provide the best care to our community.” Surgeons from both EmergeOrtho and Southeastern Sports Medicine and Orthopedics perform knee and hip replacement procedures at Pardee.
Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality providers for their specialty care needs in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, knee and hip replacements, maternity care, spine surgery, and transplants, while encouraging healthcare professionals to improve the care they deliver. For more information about the program and for a complete listing of the designated facilities, please visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.
1 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Annual Incidents of Common Musculoskeletal Procedures and Treatment, 2014 March; http://www.aaos.org/research/stats/CommonProceduresTreatments-March2014.pdf
