St. Joseph Medical Center Designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery^SM and a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement^SM

(Towson, MD) - St. Joseph Medical Center has been designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery and a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement by CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.

“Blue Distinction puts a high value on research and evidence-based health and medical information,” said Allan Korn, MD, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Chief Medical Officer.
“Blue Distinction Centers show our commitment to working with doctors and hospitals in communities across the country to identify leading institutions that meet clinically validated quality standards and deliver better overall outcomes in patient care.”

Selection criteria for Blue Distinction for facilities were developed with input from a panel of expert physicians and includes the following: (See www.bcbs.com.)

• Established acute care inpatient facility, including intensive care, emergency care, and a full range of patient support services with full accreditation by a CMS-deemed national accreditation organization
• Experience and training of program surgeons, including case volume
• Quality management programs, including surgical checklists as well as tracking and evaluation of clinical outcomes and process of care
• Multidisciplinary clinical pathways and teams to coordinate and streamline care, including transitions of care
• Shared decision making and preoperative patient education

“St. Joseph Medical Center thanks our orthopaedic surgeons, nurses, therapists and support staff, who together form the team that achieves the high-quality, compassionate care that merits these outstanding Blue Distinction Center designations,” says Jeffrey Norman, president & CEO of St. Joseph Medical Center.

Blue Distinction^® designation is awarded by independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies throughout the country to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality healthcare in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, knee and hip replacement, spine surgery and transplants. The program is part of The Blues’^® efforts to collaborate with physicians and medical facilities to improve the overall quality and safety of specialty care.

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St. Joseph Medical Center is a 345-bed nonprofit, regional medical center in Towson, Md., and a member of Catholic Health Initiatives. Founded in 1864 by the Sisters of St. Francis, St. Joseph is the only NCI Community Cancer Program in Maryland, is a nationally ranked Top 100 Heart Hospital, and has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s best orthopaedic facilities. For more information about St. Joseph Medical Center, visit www.StJosephTowson.com.