The Surgery Center at Midlands Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery earns Blue Distinction® Center+ designation for quality and cost-efficiency in spine surgery, knee and hip total joint replacement
July 23, 2025
The Surgery Center at Midlands Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery is recognized by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Spine Surgery, Knee and Hip Replacement as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated healthcare facilities shown to deliver improved patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s (BCBSA) partnership with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).
Free Standing Surgery Centers designated as Blue Distinction Centers+ for Spine Surgery, Hip and Knee Total Joint Replacement demonstrate expertise resulting in fewer patient complications and Free-Standing Surgery Center readmissions compared to other Free Standing Surgery Centers.
Designated Free Standing Surgery Centers must also maintain national accreditation. In addition to meeting these quality thresholds, facilities designated as Blue Distinction Centers+ are on average 20 percent more cost-efficient in an episode of care compared to other Free Standing Surgery Centers.
Quality is key: only those facilities that first meet nationally established, objective quality measures will be considered for designation as a Blue Distinction Center+.
The Surgery Center at Midlands Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery is proud to be recognized by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina for meeting the rigorous selection criteria set by the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.
“Our primary objective is to provide the highest quality outpatient spine surgery, knee and hip replacement care available”, said Kay Hanna, chief executive officer of The Surgery Center at Midlands Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery. “Everyone in our practice is fully committed to providing each patient with the best experience possible. Being recognized as a Blue Distinction Center+ makes us all proud, and at the same time, challenges us. Being one of the select few to receive this designation reinforces our constant pursuit of excellence and patient well-being.”
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.
For more information about the program and for a complete listing of the designated facilities, please visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.
About The Surgery Center at Midlands Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery
The Surgery Center at Midlands Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery is a freestanding ambulatory surgery center providing a full spectrum of care. Together with Surgical Care Affiliates (SCA), their vision is to be the practice of choice for outpatient spine and orthopaedic procedures.
Experienced physicians, nurses, and technicians use advanced technology and equipment to provide high quality, care in a warm, personalized setting.
The Surgery Center at Midlands Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) and strives to provide the best care possible by meeting and exceeding AAAHC standards for high-quality healthcare.
About BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
Headquartered in Columbia and operating in South Carolina for more than 75 years, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina comprises more than 20 companies involved in health insurance services, U.S. Department of Defense health program and Medicare contracts, other insurance and employee benefits services, and a philanthropic foundation that funds programs to improve health care and access to health care for South Carolinians. The company has held an A+ rating from AM Best for 23 consecutive years.
About the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a national federation of independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide health care coverage for one in three Americans. BCBSA provides health care insights through The Health of America Report series and the national BCBS Health IndexSM. For more information on BCBSA and its member companies, please visit bcbs.com.
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 www.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 noncovered charges or other losses or damages resulting from Blue Distinction or other provider finder information or care received from Blue Distinction or other providers.
