By: Courtney Thomas—
Muncie, IN –Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana has selected IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery, part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated healthcare facilities shown to deliver safe and effective specialty care, based on objective measures that were developed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies with input from the medical community.
Hospitals designated as Blue Distinction Centers for Spine Surgery demonstrate expertise in spine surgeries, resulting in fewer patient complications and hospital readmissions. These facilities are evaluated on the care team’s expertise and the number of procedures performed at the location. Blue Distinction Centers have a history of delivering better results – including fewer complications and readmissions – than hospitals without these recognitions.
“We are incredibly proud of our leading edge spine surgery program led by our highly skilled physicians and surgeons,” said Paula Tyler, service line leader, orthopedics and neurosciences. “This award is a great honor and affirms the high quality care and treatment our patients receive for their spine surgical needs.”
In addition to this designation for expertise in spine surgery, IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital holds a Blue Distinction® Center+ Designation for Knee and Hip Replacement Surgeries. Only those facilities that first meet nationally established, objective quality measures will be considered for designation as a Blue Distinction Center+. Hospitals designated as Blue Distinction Centers+ are on average 20 percent more cost-efficient in an episode of care compared to other hospitals.
Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality providers for their specialty care needs in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, knee and hip replacements, maternity care, spine surgery, and transplants, while encouraging healthcare professionals to improve the care they deliver.
IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital is proud to be recognized by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana for meeting the robust selection criteria for spine surgery set by the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.
For more information on IU Health’s spine programs, visit https://iuhealth.org/find-medical-services/back-neck-pain.
About Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital
IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital serves as a tertiary referral center and teaching hospital for East Central Indiana and part of Indiana University Health. IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission and maintains 1.2 million square feet of facilities. More than 17,700 patients are admitted every year and more than 300,000 outpatient procedures are completed annually. Dr. Jeff Bird is President. Learn more at iuhealth.org/ball-memorial.
About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc., an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ® ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana is available at www.anthem.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AskAnthem,www.twitter.com/AnthemPR_IN and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AskAnthem.
About Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 36 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide healthcare coverage for nearly 105 million members – one-in-three Americans. For more information on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and its member companies, please visit bcbs.com. We encourage you to connect with us on Facebook, check out our videos on YouTube, follow us on Twitter and check out The BCBS Blog, for up-to-date information about BCBSA.
About Blue Distinction Centers
Blue Distinction Centers (BDC) met overall quality measures for patient safety and outcomes, developed with input from the medical community. A Local Blue Plan may require additional criteria for facilities located in its own service area; for details, contact your Local Blue Plan. Blue Distinction Centers+ (BDC+) also met cost measures that address consumers’ need for affordable health care. Each facility’s cost of care is evaluated using data from its Local Blue Plan. Facilities in CA, ID, NY, PA, and WA may lie in two Local Blue Plans’ areas, resulting in two evaluations for cost of care; and their own Local Blue Plans decide whether one or both cost of care evaluation(s) must meet BDC+ national criteria. National criteria for BDC and BDC+ are displayed on bcbs.com. Individual outcomes may vary. For details on a provider’s in-network status or your own policy’s coverage, contact your Local Blue Plan and ask your provider before making an appointment. Neither Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association nor any Blue Plans are responsible for non-covered charges or other losses or damages resulting from Blue Distinction or other provider finder information or care received from Blue Distinction or other providers.
