North Florida Regional Medical Center Designated Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery^SM & Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement^SM

February 9, 2010, Gainesville, FL – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc. (BCBSF) has designated North Florida Regional Medical Center (NFRMC) as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery and a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement.  Blue Distinction Centers for Spine Surgery and Blue Distinction Centers for Knee and Hip Replacement are part of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s expansion of its Blue Distinction® designation.

“Our goal always is to deliver the highest quality care for our patients, and we are honored to receive the Blue Distinction® designation for Spine Surgery, Hip and Knee Replacement at North Florida Regional Medical Center,” says Matt Davis, NFRMC Chief Operating Officer.  “We respect Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida for their commitment to research and evidence-based medicine, and we are very proud to be a part of this focus on what is truly best for patients.”

North Florida Regional Medical Center offers comprehensive orthopedic services, including hand surgery, shoulder surgery, hip surgery, knee surgery, foot and ankle surgery, joint replacement surgery arthroscopic surgery and minimally invasive surgery. NFRMC has a dedicated unit for pre-operative education, including Ortho Camp, where patients meet with clinical staff.  Comprehensive spine services include spinal fusion, disc replacement, laminectomy and kyphoplasty.  Intra-operative image guidance is among the resources that are a part of the neuroscience program. 

“Blue Distinction puts a high value on research and evidence-based health and medical information,” said Allan Korn, M.D. Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Chief Medical Officer. “Blue Distinction Centers show our commitment to working with doctors and hospitals in communities across the country to identify leading institutions that meet clinically validated quality standards and deliver better overall outcomes in patient care.”

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 Spine Surgery and a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement, the following types of criteria were evaluated. More information on is available at 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 Spine Surgery and 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. 

About North Florida Regional Medical Center:
North Florida Regional is a 325-bed, full-service medical and surgical acute care center serving 14 counties and offering comprehensive cardiovascular care, oncology, orthopedics, neurosciences, weight loss surgery and treatment,  women’s health and wound therapy, among other services.  A proven leader, North Florida Regional Medical Center is fully accredited and is certified as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organization.  North Florida Regional Medical Center’s cancer program is designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center, as well as a Commission on Cancer-Approved Cancer Program by the American College of Surgeons.  North Florida Regional Medical Center is a member of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA).  Based in Nashville, Tennessee, HCA remains the nation’s leading provider of healthcare services, composed of locally managed facilities that include approximately 166 hospitals and 112 outpatient centers in 20 states and England.

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.