Southcoast Health’s Charlton Memorial and St. Luke’s Hospitals earned Blue Distinction Specialty Care program recognitions from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.
Charlton Memorial Hospital was designated a Blue Distinction® Center for Spine Surgery and St. Luke’s Hospital has earned the Blue Distinction® Center+ Designation for Quality and Cost-Efficiency in Spine Surgery.
These recognitions highlight healthcare facilities nationwide that demonstrate enhanced patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies with input from the medical community.
“I am very proud of Southcoast Health’s Brain & Spine Program,” said Matthew Philips, MD, Chief of Brain & Spine Services at Southcoast Health. “Our multidisciplinary team utilizes advanced diagnostic tools and the latest surgical treatments with personalized, patient-focused care to ensure each individual receives treatment custom to them. This designation affirms the trust our community places in us every day.”
Both hospitals were designated for demonstrating expertise in cervical and lumbar fusion, cervical laminectomy and lumbar laminectomy/discectomy procedures, resulting in fewer patient complications and hospital readmissions in comparison to other hospitals. To maintain their designation status, each hospital also upholds national accreditation standards required of all designated hospitals.
Making this recognition more meaningful, St. Luke’s Hospital is one of only six community hospitals in the state of Massachusetts to receive the Blue Distinction Center+ Designation. This recognition highlights the hospital’s commitment to delivering high-quality, cost-efficient spine care.
“We are honored to be recognized by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts for meeting the rigorous selection criteria for spine surgery set by the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program,” said David O. McCready, President and CEO of Southcoast Health. “This recognition reflects Southcoast Health’s commitment to the highest standards of surgical care. The skill and dedication of our Southcoast Health Brain & Spine team is unmatched, we are all grateful for their commitment to improving the lives of our patients and the communities we serve.”
In addition to these most recent recognitions, Southcoast Health has earned Blue Distinction Specialty Care program recognitions for the following:
- Blue Distinction® Center for Bariatric Surgery at Charlton Memorial and Tobey Hospitals
- Blue Distinction® Center+ for Cardiac Care at Charlton Memorial Hospital
- Blue Distinction® Center+ for Knee and Hip Replacement at Charlton Memorial Hospital
- Blue Distinction® Center+ for Maternity Care at Charlton Memorial and St. Luke’s Hospitals
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 Southcoast Health Brain & Spine, please visit www.southcoast.org/services/brain-and-spine-treatment
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