Thibodaux, Louisiana, May 10, 2013 – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of
Louisiana has named Thibodaux Regional Health System 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,
as well as new cost-efficiency measures.
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. Thibodaux Regional Health System is proud to have met
the rigorous selection criteria set by the Blue Distinction Centers for
Specialty Care program.
“At Thibodaux Regional Health System, we continuously strive for
excellence, whether it is patient safety or increasing efficiency and
process improvement,” said Billy Naquin, MBA, PT, OCS, Director
of the Spine Center of Thibodaux Regional. “The Spine Center is
excited to be named a Center of Distinction by Blue Cross. This distinction
recognizes the excellence in patient care that we are constantly trying
to achieve.”
“We’re very excited about this expansion of the Blue Distinction
program,” said Dr. David Carmouche, chief medical officer at Blue
Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. “The expanded emphasis on both
quality and cost efficiency takes the program to a new level. As for our
network facilities that have been named Centers of Blue Distinction, we
are proud of their commitment. We are eager to continue working with these
top providers to give our mutual customers access to quality, affordable
healthcare.”
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. Blue Distinction Centers+
also are more than 20 percent more cost-efficient. 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 and cost objectives.
About Thibodaux Regional Health System
Nationally recognized for quality care and service, Thibodaux Regional
Medical Center is a 185-bed acute care facility that provides inpatient
and outpatient care for the people of Lafourche and seven surrounding
parishes. Highly specialized services offered include Heart Surgery, Medical
and Radiation Oncology, Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Sports Medicine,
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, General, Laparoscopic, and Bariatric
Surgery, Pulmonology, Rheumatology, Women’s Services, Sleep Disorders,
Behavioral Health, Inpatient and Outpatient Physical Rehabilitation Services.
For more information, visit
www.thibodaux.com.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Founded in New Orleans in 1934,Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
is the oldest and largest Louisiana-based health insurance company. Blue
Cross is a private, fully taxed mutual company, owned by policyholders—not
shareholders—and governed by a local Board of Directors. It is an
independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.The company and its subsidiaries provide group and individual health insurance
plans, life and disability insurance, group voluntary products and administrative
services to more than one out of every four Louisiana residents. With
headquarters in Baton Rouge and eight district offices, Blue Cross and
Blue Shield of Louisiana employs nearly 2,000 Louisianians who are committed
to improving the lives of its customers by providing them with health
guidance and affordable access to quality care.Learn more on the company’s website at www.bcbsla.com
or visit our social media hub
to connect with us via Facebook, Twitter and more.
About the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of
38 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue
Shield companies that collectively provide healthcare coverage for 100
million members – one-in-three Americans. For more information on
the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and its member companies, please visit
www.BCBS.com. We encourage you to connect with us on
Facebook, check out our videos on
YouTube, follow us on
Twitter and check out
The BCBS Blog, for up-to-date information about BCBSA.Blue Distinction®Centers met
overall quality measures for patient safety and outcomes, developed with
input from the medical community. Blue Distinction®Centers+ also met
cost measures that address consumers’ need for affordable healthcare.
Individual outcomes may vary. National criteria is displayed on
www.bcbs.com. A Local Blue Plan may require additional criteria for facilities located
in its own service area. To find out which services and providers (including
hospital based physicians) are covered under your policy, or to learn
about Local Blue Plan Criteria, contact your Local Blue Plan; and contact
your provider before making an appointment to verify its current Network
and Blue Distinction Centers status. Each hospital’s Cost Index
is calculated separately, based on data from its Local Blue Plan. Hospitals
in portions of CA, ID, NY, PA, and WA may lie in areas served by two Local
Blue Plans, resulting in two Cost Index figures; and their own Local Blue
Plans decide whether all hospitals in these areas must meet Blue Distinction
Centers+ national criteria for one or both Cost Index figures. Neither
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association nor any Blue Plans are responsible
for damages, losses, or non-covered charges resulting from Blue Distinction
or other provider finder information or care received from Blue Distinction
or other providers. To find out more, contact your Local Blue Plan.