To be designated by Blue Shield as a Preferred Center for Knee and Hip Replacement Surgery, a facility and surgeon must also provide high-quality care cost-effectively. Community Regional was the only Central Valley hospital selected in its service area.
The selection comes as Community Regional Medical Center was recently recognized nationally for knee and hip replacement surgery in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s Blue Distinction Center® program for distinguished clinical care and processes. Blue Distinction is a national designation awarded by 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 or transplants. Studies show that many patients who receive care for these specialties at designated Blue Distinction Centers experience better overall outcomes.
“We’re very proud of our physicians who have helped earn this designation through evidence-based outcomes that reflect leading-edge care,” Community Regional CEO Jack Chubb said. “We’re also proud that Community Regional was the only hospital in our service area to be among the 20 hospitals statewide chosen as a CalPERS Preferred Center.”
As of Jan. 1, Blue Shield’s CalPERS HMO plan members must have the procedure performed at one of Blue Shield’s Preferred Centers for Knee and Hip Replacement Surgery, unless authorized by Blue Shield.
"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 at Blue Shield of California. “Blue Shield is pleased to recognize this hospital’s superior care and designate it as a CalPERS Preferred Center for knee and hip replacement surgery.”
To learn more about the Blue Distinction designation, visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.
About Community Medical Centers
Community Medical Centers is a locally owned, not-for-profit, public-benefit organization providing central California with acute care, outpatient centers, clinics, home care, community education, physician groups and a physician residency program in conjunction with the University of California, San Francisco. Based in Fresno, Community is the region’s largest health care provider and private employer.
About Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California, an independent member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health plan with 3.3 million members, 4,800 employees, and one of the largest provider networks in California. Founded in 1939 and headquartered in San Francisco, Blue Shield of California offers a wide range of commercial and government products throughout the state. The company has contributed more than $125 million over the past four years to the Blue Shield of California Foundation—which was named one of BusinessWeek’s 20 most generous corporate foundations. For additional information, visit www.blueshieldca.com.
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 your health plan; and call your provider before making an appointment, to verify the most current information on its Network participation and Blue Distinction status. Neither Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association nor any of its Licensees are responsible for any damages, losses, or non-covered charges that may result from using this resource or receiving care from a Blue Distinction provider.
