• Helps take the guesswork out of choosing a hospital for surgery
  • Helps members identify which hospitals have met high standards for surgical quality
  • Expands on similar quality recognition programs for other types of care
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.— Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) is continuing to focus on  improving health care quality by recognizing select North Carolina hospitals for excellence in spinal surgery, knee replacements, and hip replacements. The program will help BCBSNC members choose facilities that meet high standards for these common procedures.
 
These ten Blue Distinction Centers for Spine SurgerySM and 16 Blue Distinction Centers for Knee and Hip ReplacementSM are part of an expansion of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s Blue Distinction® program. BCBSNC has similar Blue Distinction programs for excellence in weight-loss surgery, heart care, certain cancers and transplants.

“When you’re facing surgery, you want to rest assured you’re going to the best hospital you can,” said Dr. Don Bradley, chief medical officer and senior vice president for BCBSNC. “These Blue Distinction Centers can give our members some peace of mind, because they know the hospital has met high standards for coordinating patient care, training physicians, and educating patients and involving them in their care. We recognize these facilities not only for the volume of procedures they do, but for the superior expertise that comes from this experience.”

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, procedures including knee reconstruction or replacement, total and partial hip replacement, and spinal fusion increased by nearly 25 percent between 1997 and 2005.1

The North Carolina hospitals recognized as Blue Distinction Centers for Knee and Hip Replacement are:
  • Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville
  • Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte
  • Carolinas Medical Center, Mercy, in Charlotte
  • Duke University Hospital in Durham
  • Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem
  • Gaston Memorial Hospital in Gastonia
  • Granville Medical Center in Oxford
  • Mission Hospital, Inc. in Asheville
  • Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro
  • North Carolina Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem
  • Northern Hospital of Surry County
  • Presbyterian Hospital – Huntersville
  • Presbyterian Orthopedic Hospital in Charlotte
  • Rowan Regional Medical Center, Inc. in Salisbury
  • UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill
  • Wesley Long Community Hospital in Greensboro
 The North Carolina hospitals recognized as Blue Distinction Centersfor Spine Surgery are:
  • Duke University Hospital in Durham
  • Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem
  • Gaston Memorial Hospital in Gastonia
  • Mission Hospital, Inc. in Asheville
  • Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro
  • Presbyterian Hospital – Huntersville
  • Presbyterian Orthopedic Hospital in Charlotte
  • UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill
  • WakeMed Raleigh
  • WakeMed Cary
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina:
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a leader in delivering innovative health care products, services and information to more than 3.7 million members, including approximately 900,000 served on behalf of other Blue Plans. For 77 years, the company has served its customers by offering health insurance at a competitive price and has served the people of North Carolina through support of community organizations, programs and events that promote good health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Access BCBSNC online at bcbsnc.com.
 
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1 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Statistical Brief #34, Hospital Stays Involving Musculoskeletal Procedures 1997-2005, July 2007
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 contact Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.