Palmetto Health Heart Hospital Designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care®

COLUMBIA, SC – June 4, 2009 – Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina has designated Palmetto Health’s Heart Hospital as a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care®. To date, only slightly more than 400 facilities nationwide have received this designation. Palmetto Health Heart Hospital is South Carolina’s only freestanding heart hospital, dedicated solely to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.  

Blue Distinction Centers for Cardiac Care demonstrate their commitment to quality care, resulting in better overall outcomes for cardiac patients. Palmetto Health Heart Hospital meets evidence-based clinical criteria, developed in collaboration with expert physicians and medical organizations, including the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), and is subject to periodic re-evaluation as criteria evolve. 

Blue Distinction Centers for Cardiac Care provide a full range of cardiac care services, including inpatient cardiac care, cardiac rehabilitation, cardiac catheterization and cardiac surgery (including coronary artery bypass graft surgery). Palmetto Health Heart Hospital’s team of physicians and staff utilize advanced technology to perform high-risk surgeries. Their clinical expertise is coupled with unmatched quality measures and the highest patient satisfaction ratings in the nation.  

“Blue Distinction puts a high value on research and evidence-based health and medical information,” says BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Little.  “Blue Distinction Centers show our commitment to working with doctors and hospitals to identify leading institutions that meet clinically validated quality standards and deliver better overall outcomes in patient care. We welcome Palmetto Health Heart Hospitals’ designation into the program.” 

To be designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care, Palmetto Health Heart Hospital met the selection criteria posted at www.BCBS.com, which includes:

·         an established cardiac care  program, performing required annual volumes for certain procedures (e.g. a minimum of 125 cardiac surgical procedures annually, including both CABG and/or valve surgery)

·         appropriate experience of its cardiac team, including sub-specialty board certification for interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons

·         an established acute care inpatient facility, including intensive care, emergency and a full range of cardiac services

·         full accreditation by The Joint Commission, Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) or national equivalent

·         low overall complication and mortality rates

·         a comprehensive quality management program

Blue Distinction is a designation awarded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality healthcare. The designation is based on rigorous, evidence-based selection criteria established in collaboration with expert physicians’ and medical organizations’ recommendations. Today, more than 800 Blue Distinction Center designations have been awarded to facilities nationwide, providing consumers with a framework for making informed decisions on where to go for specialty care in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, and transplants.

About BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina

Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina (www.SouthCarolinaBlues.com) is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. The only South Carolina-owned and operated health insurance carrier, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and its family of companies include more than 20 subsidiaries involved in health insurance services, U.S. DoD health program and Medicare contracts, and other insurance and employee benefits services