Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan recognizes 17 hospitals for high quality and cost-efficiency in cardiac care

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has designated 17 hospitals across the state as Blue Distinction® Centers+ for Cardiac Care, part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated health care facilities shown to deliver improved patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed with input from the medical community.

To receive a Blue Distinction Center+ for Cardiac Care designation, a hospital must demonstrate its expertise in delivering safe and effective cardiac care, focusing on cardiac valve surgery, coronary artery bypass graft and percutaneous coronary interventions episodes. A hospital must also have earned national accreditation. In addition to meeting established quality thresholds, these hospitals must also demonstrate better cost efficiency compared to their peers.

Quality is key: only those facilities that first meet nationally established quality measures for Blue Distinction Centers were considered for designation as a Blue Distinction Center+.

"The Blue Distinction Center+ designation lets our members know where they can go in Michigan to receive high-quality, cost-effective care that meets robust clinical standards," said David Share, M.D., M.P.H., senior vice president, Value Partnerships, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. "Congratulations to all of the hospitals earning this designation for cardiac care."

Hospitals earning Blue Distinction Center+ for Cardiac Care include:

Allegiance Health, Jackson

Borgess Medical Center, Kalamazoo

Bronson Methodist Hospital, Kalamazoo

Crittenton Hospital Medical Center, Rochester Hills

Genesys Regional Medical Center, Grand Blanc

Henry Ford Macomb Hospital, Clinton Township

McLaren Bay Regional Medical Center, Bay City

McLaren Macomb Hospital, Mt. Clemens

MidMichigan Medical Center, Midland

Munson Medical Center, Traverse City

Sparrow Hospital, Lansing

Spectrum Health Butter-worth Hospital, Grand Rapids

St. John Macomb Oakland Hospital - Macomb Center, Warren

St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor

St. Mary's of Michigan Medical Center, Saginaw

University of Michigan Medical Hospital, Ann Arbor

William Beaumont Hospital, Troy

Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find high-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 health care professionals to improve the care they deliver.

Research shows that facilities designated as Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients compared with their peers. On average, facilities designated as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Cardiac Care are 20 percent more cost efficient in an episode of care compared to health care facilities that don't have the Blue Distinction Center+ designation. For more information about the program and for a complete list of the designated facilities, please visit bcbs.com/bluedistinction.