BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee has named TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center as a Blue Distinction Center in Spine Surgery. The Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care program is a national designation awarded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality specialty care – which expanded recently to include more robust quality measures focused on improved patient health and safety.

Since 2006, consumers, medical providers and employers have relied on the Blue Distinction program to identify hospitals delivering quality care in Bariatric Surgery, Cardiac Care, Complex and Rare Cancers, Knee and Hip Replacements, Spine Surgery and Transplants. The selection criteria used to evaluate facilities were developed with input from the medical community, and include general quality and safety metrics plus program specific metrics. TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center is proud to have met the rigorous selection criteria set by the Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care program. 

“Being named a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery reemphasizes that our spine surgery program is a choice patients and physicians can trust. Our complete team of experienced surgeons, nurses and rehabilitation specialists who are dedicated to providing the best possible outcome for our patients each and every day,” said Mark Sims, CEO of TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center in Smyrna, Tenn. “Achieving this designation is another example of TriStar StoneCrest’s commitment to providing the highest quality services to our patients right here in Rutherford County.”

“BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee is proud to congratulate TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center on this distinction,” said Dan Barnett, interim chief medical officer for BlueCross. “It is important that we recognize the good work that these hospitals are doing as they focus on achieving top quality care. It provides our members with the peace of mind they need when making medical care decisions. These hospitals are leading the way to a new level of quality here in Tennessee.”

Research confirms that the newly designated Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients, with lower rates of complications and readmissions than their peers. The program provides consumers with tools to help them make better informed healthcare decisions. These results will also enable employers, working with their local Blue Plan, to tailor benefits to meet their individual quality objectives.

Source:

Kimberly T. Johnson, Public Relations, TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center