Blue Distinction is a designation awarded to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering high-quality health care in specific areas like knee and hip replacement. The program is part of an effort to collaborate with physicians and medical facilities to improve the overall quality and safety of specialty care.
On top of the Blue Distinction, Community Regional has received “Center of Excellence” designation for the past three years. Patients at Community Regional benefit from minimally invasive surgeries, faster recovery times, private rooms and a specially trained orthopedic team that cares for each patient from admission through post-surgery rehabilitation.
To be designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement, 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 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-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
"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 Dr. Michael-Anne Browne, medical director for quality at Blue Shield of California. “Blue Shield of California is pleased to recognize the superior care that this hospital and physicians deliver."
Community Regional’s joint replacement program is a designated center for excellence and is one of the only top-rated knee and hip replacement programs in the Valley. The program has the best outcomes, latest treatments and fastest recovery times for joint replacement patients.
