Baptist DeSoto has recently been named a Blue Distinction+ Center of Excellence for cardiac care by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi.
Blue Distinction+ designation is part of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi’s statewide Cardiac Care Collaborative with its Network Providers that provide cardiovascular disease management. The collaborative focuses on best practice care coordination with the goal of healthier outcomes through an emphasis on quality and prevention.
“An important part of being healthy is managing heart health. We know that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Mississippi and responsible for millions of dollars in health care costs each year. Early identification of risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, diagnosis and care coordination are essential in prevention and management of the disease—and in managing costs,” says Sarah Broom, M.D., Medical Director for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi.
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi and its Network Providers are working on quality and performance measures for the diagnosis, treatment and management of cardiovascular disease from initial preventive risk assessment to surgical management. This includes the delivery of cardiac care hospital specialty procedures such as cardiovascular stent placement, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and valve replacement.
“I am proud of the great work our physicians and team members do every day to ensure we provide top-notch heart care,” said Dr. Arie Szatkowski, medical director of cardiovascular services at Baptist DeSoto. “We are honored that Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi has recognized our hospital in this way.”
The Blue Distinction+ Centers of Excellence program recognizes Network Hospitals and their Network Physicians that demonstrate high levels of performance in delivering quality specialty care safely, efficiently and in a cost-effective manner. Centers of Excellence must first be designated as Blue Distinction Centers by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, based on national criteria around quality, costs and total value, and then meet additional criteria as defined by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi.
Baptist DeSoto, the only hospital in its region to hold this distinction, joins Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, Mississippi Baptist Medical Center in Jackson, North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson and Singing River Health System—Ocean Springs Hospital in carrying this distinction.
For more information, visit www.bcbsms.com.