REDDING, Calif - Blue Shield of California has designated Mercy Medical Center Redding (MMCR), Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta (MMCMS) and St. Elizabeth Community Hospital (SECH) in Red Bluff as Blue Distinction Centers for Knee and Hip ReplacementSM. Blue Distinction Centers for Knee and Hip ReplacementSM are part of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s expansion of its Blue Distinction® designation.
MMCR offers a dedicated Center for Hip and Knee Replacement within its Orthopaedic Unit. This special in-hospital camp is designed to pro-actively help individuals undergoing hip and knee replacement, before, during and after their procedure. The Center for Hip and Knee Replacement offers pre-surgery patient education, computer-assisted technology and a variety of techniques for joint replacements, including hip resurfacing and an anterior hip approach.
Sixty miles north of Redding sits MMCMS. The Medical Center’s orthopaedic surgery program specializes in conservative and surgical interventions for hip, knee, shoulder, neck, spine and back conditions. Beginning with a presurgery orientation for the patient and their support person, all aspects of the surgical procedure and recovery process are outlined. The MMCMS healthcare team includes skilled physicians and an orthopaedic certified nursing staff that is backed by the finest technology available. This extraordinary combination allows MMCMS to perform hundreds of acts of caring every day.
Thirty miles south of Redding resides the award winning Red Bluff hospital. SECH specializes in minimally invasive solutions, and has the North State’s first MAKO robotic arm technology. The SECH Orthopaedic Team performs procedures in vulnerable joint areas such as knees, hips and shoulders. With one of the highest patient safety rankings and one of the lowest lengths of patient stays in the nation, SECH provides a compassionate continuum of care in a state of the art, all private room setting.
The three Catholic Healthcare West (CHW) hospitals work together, providing a full line of orthopaedic services. “This designation is a tremendous accomplishment for the Orthopaedic teams. The designation is a testament to the skill and judgment of the Orthopaedic surgeons who practice at the three north state facilities,” said Jon Halfhide, CHW North State Service Area (NSSA) President. “We live in the most beautiful part of California and outdoor recreation is an important element of our lifestyle. This acknowledgement from Blue Cross and Blue Shield demonstrates our commitment to assisting our patients in living and maintaining an active way of life.”
"Blue Distinction Centers set themselves apart by adhering to best practices in patient safety and surgical care and producing consistently strong outcomes with fewer complications,” says Michael-Anne Browne, M.D., Medical Director for Quality at Blue Shield of California. “Blue Shield of California is pleased to recognize the superior care that these hospitals and physicians deliver."
Blue Distinction Centers for Knee and Hip ReplacementSM demonstrate their commitment to quality care, resulting in better overall outcomes for knee and hip replacement care. CHW NSSA Hospitals meet evidence-based clinical criteria, developed in collaboration with a panel of expert physicians and medical organizations, including the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons and is subject to periodic reevaluation as criteria continue to evolve.*
To be designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip ReplacementSM, 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
“Blue Distinction® puts a high value on research and evidence-based health and medical information,” says 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.”
*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 Blue Shield of California health plan policy at any of these facilities, Blue Shield members should check their Evidence of Coverage booklets.
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About Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California, an independent member of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health plan dedicated to providing Californians with access to high quality care at a reasonable price. Founded in 1939, it now has 3.4 million members, 4,800 employees, one of the largest provider networks and more than 20 office locations, providing a wide range of commercial and government products throughout the state. Blue Shield of California has contributed more than $100 million over the past three years to the Blue Shield of California Foundation -- which this year was named one of BusinessWeek’s top 20 most generous corporate foundations. The Foundation works to improve access to quality health care in California by funding nonprofits across the state. Contact your local agent or broker for more information about Blue Shield products and services, or visit the Blue Shield web site at www.blueshieldca.com.
About Mercy Medical Center Redding
Mercy Medical Center Redding has been named the recipient of the National Research Corporation’s Consumer Choice Award for the greater Redding area for 2009/10. This means local consumers, ranked MMCR as the best for overall quality; best image and reputation; best doctors and best nurses for the third year in a row.
About Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta
Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta provides a full range of health care services and programs that contribute to the physical, spiritual, and social well being of our community. By combining a strong sense of caring with sophisticated medical technology, Mercy has earned national recognition for quality, patient care and patient satisfaction.
About St. Elizabeth Community Hospital
St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, a recent recipient of the Thomson 100 Top Hospitals: Benchmarks for Success award for a third year in a row, a National Best Place To Work as designated by Modern Health Care Magazine and the Thomson Reuters Performance Improvement Leaders award, brings state-of-the-art health care to Tehama and Glenn Counties. This hospital, with 76 licensed beds and a Level III Trauma Center, offers advanced services including endoscopic and laser surgery. St. Elizabeth Community Hospital provides critical, adult, pediatric and maternity care, as well as Home Health and Hospice programs and includes a state-of-the-art Imaging Center and Outpatient Surgery Center.
