Porter Adventist Hospital designated as Blue Distinction Center for spine surgery, knee and hip replacement programs

Porter Adventist Hospital is among the first in the country to receive designation as Blue Distinction Centers in two surgical services that have recently been added to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association's expansion of its Blue Distinction® designation.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has designated Porter as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine SurgerySM and as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip ReplacementSM for demonstrating commitment to quality care in surgery and better overall outcomes for patients. St. Anthony North Hospital in Westminster, another hospital in Centura Health, also received designation as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine SurgerySM.

"Our spine surgery and knee and hip replacement programs are among the best, thanks to the skill of our surgeons and the expertise of the entire surgical, nursing and therapy teams," said Randy Haffner, Porter CEO. "Our patients benefit from knowing that they are in the best possible hands."

Both the Spine Institute and the Center for Joint Replacement at Porter Adventist Hospital are inpatient units dedicated to caring for spine surgery and joint replacement patients. The physicians, nurses, therapists and staff have received specialized training to provide comprehensive care to encourage the best outcomes. Pre-operative classes are available to patients and their loved ones as they prepare for surgery. Free community classes are also offered to those suffering from back and neck pain to explore surgical and non-surgical options for treatment.

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 for Knee and Hip Replacement, the following types of criteria were evaluated. More information on selection criteria is available on 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.

Porter received designation as a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care in 2009.