Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas has designated hospitals located in Hays, Hutchinson, Topeka and Wichita as Blue Distinction® Centers for Cardiac Care. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated hospitals that show expertise in delivering improved patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed with input from the medical community, and leading accreditation and quality organizations. 

Stormont Vail Health, Topeka, was designated as a Blue Distinction Center for delivering quality cardiac care. Three hospitals – Hays Medical Center, Inc., Hutchinson Regional Medical Center and Wesley Medical Center, Wichita – were each designated as Blue Distinction Center+, meaning that the hospitals met both quality measures and also cost efficiency standards. 

To receive a Blue Distinction Centers designation, hospitals must demonstrate expertise in delivering safe and effective cardiac care, focusing on cardiac valve surgery, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) episodes of care. 

"We are honored to recognize Hays Med, Hutchinson Regional, Stormont Vail and Wesley for the quality cardiac care each provides our members, resulting in better outcomes and fewer complications," said Matt All, president/CEO. "To be named a Blue Distinction Center requires meeting rigorous quality metrics across their cardiac programs, making this designation challenging to earn, but all the more rewarding when it is." 
  
Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality specialty care in the areas of bariatric surgery, cancer care, cardiac care, cellular immunotherapy, fertility care, gene therapy, knee and hip replacements, maternity care, spine surgery, and transplants, while encouraging health care professionals to improve the care they deliver. Research shows that, compared to other providers, those designated as Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients. On average, Blue Distinction Centers+ also are 20 percent more cost-efficient than non-Blue Distinction Center+ designated providers. 

For more information about the program and for a complete listing of the designated providers, visit bcbs.com/bluedistinction. 

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas 
For more than 75 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas has built a reputation of trust with its members and contracting providers by providing outstanding customer service while quickly and accurately processing claims; fairly administering benefit plans and contracts; offering programs, services and tools to help members improve or maintain their health; and operating under the highest ethical standards while being good stewards of premium dollars. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and is the state’s largest insurer, serving all Kansas counties except Johnson and Wyandotte. For more information, visit bcbsks.com. 

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About Blue Distinction Centers 
Blue Distinction Centers (BDC) met overall quality measures, developed with input from the medical community. A Local Blue Plan may require additional criteria for providers 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 healthcare. Each provider’s cost of care is evaluated using data from its Local Blue Plan. Providers 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 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.