(January 28) Washington, DC—CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield has designated The George Washington University Hospital a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip ReplacementSM, part of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s expansion of its Blue Distinction® designation.
“We are proud to be recognized for our rich experience and commitment to quality in joint replacement,” says James Graeter, MD, Director, Total Joint Replacement Center. “This distinction will push us to continue to seek the best possible outcomes for our patients.”
The George Washington University Hospital Total Joint Replacement Center offers comprehensive knee and hip replacement services, including preoperative education, minimally invasive surgical options and postoperative rehabilitation. 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:
- 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
More information on selection criteria is available on www.bcbs.com.
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 designations 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.
The mission of The George Washington University Hospital is to provide high-quality healthcare, advanced medical technology and world class service to our patients in an academic medical center dedicated to education and research. We realize this vision through our commitment to the following principles: service excellence; quality improvement; employee development; ethical and fair treatment and teamwork, compassion and innovation.
In its 74th year, CareFirst, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health care organization which, through its affiliates and subsidiaries, offers a comprehensive portfolio of health insurance products and administrative services to 3.4 million individuals and groups in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia. Through its CareFirst Commitment initiative and other public mission activities, CareFirst supports efforts to increase the accessibility, affordability, safety and quality of health care throughout its market areas.
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.
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