The George Washington University Hospital Earns Blue Distinction® Center Designation for Quality in Knee and Hip Replacement Surgery
CareFirst BlueCross® BlueShield® (CareFirst) has selected The George Washington University Hospital (GW Hospital) as a Blue Distinction® Center for Knee and Hip Replacement, part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated healthcare 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 Surgery and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
Learn about Knee and Hip Replacement Surgery at GW Hospital.
“We are proud to receive this remarkable designation from Blue Cross Blue Shield, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to provide the highest quality, patient centric care in orthopedic surgery,” says Kimberly Russo, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of GW Hospital. “We look forward to continuing to push the needle in the standard of care we provide and to continuing our efforts to offer patients the best quality and outcomes.”
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. GW Hospital is proud to be recognized by CareFirst for meeting the robust selection criteria for knee and hip replacements set by the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.
“As an academic medical center, physicians at GW Hospital are constantly looking at innovative, evidence-based ways to enhance our care,” says Raj Rao, MD, Chair of Orthopedic Surgery at GW Hospital. “Our multidisciplinary team is pleased to offer our patients a range of surgical and nonsurgical options for orthopedic issues so they can get back to their loved ones and the activities they enjoy.”
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.
Learn more about the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program →