Omaha, Neb. - February 23, 2010 - Creighton University Medical Center has been designated by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement for the medical center’s clinical expertise and quality of care. Blue Distinction Centers for Knee and Hip Replacement are part of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s expansion of its Blue Distinction^® designation.

“Creighton University Medical Center is proud to be recognized as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement,” said Creighton University Medical Center President and CEO Gary Honts. “This designation is a testament to our medical center’s outstanding commitment to quality patient care and outcomes, and it reflects the expertise of our staff including our orthopedic and surgical support teams, nursing, physical therapy, and anesthesiology.”

“We want to recognize and reward those network providers who are setting new standards of excellence in the quality of health care,” said Dr. Bill Minier, Chief Medical Officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska.  “We are pleased at the level of outstanding specialty care available to our members right here in our state.”

Blue Distinction recognizes medical facilities nationally that have demonstrated a commitment to providing quality care, resulting in better outcomes for patients. 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 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.

The additional Blue Distinction Centers for Knee and Hip Replacement designations will bring the nation’s number of Blue Distinction designations to more than 1,600—and this number is expected to increase in the coming years. 

About Creighton University Medical Center
Creighton University Medical Center (CUMC) is one of the region’s premier academic medical centers and one of the largest health care providers in Nebraska. The organization includes Saint Joseph Hospital, a 334-bed acute care facility; Creighton University Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, and Pharmacy and Health Professions; and Creighton Medical Associates, a network of nearly 300 faculty physicians who practice in clinic locations throughout Nebraska and Iowa.  CUMC is known for its centers of expertise in Cardiac Care, Cancer Care, Trauma, Minimally Invasive Surgery, High-Risk OB, Blood Conservation and Surgery.  Its trauma center is the oldest and busiest in the state, and the medical center offers the region’s first freestanding facility dedicated to cardiac care.  To learn more about the Creighton University Medical Center, visit www.creightonhospital.com.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, insures or provides benefit administration to over 717,000 people. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska is a mutual insurance company committed to delivering the health and wellness solutions that people value most.  Among recent honors: The 2008 Integrity Award from the Better Business Bureau, the Platinum Well Workplace Award from the Wellness Councils of America, Top 10 Best Places to Work in Omaha and  “Best of Omaha” among health insurance companies.

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 call your local Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield Plan.

###