Pictured: Kevin Zitnay, MD, and Zafar Chowdhry, MD, both neurosurgeons, and Vincent Vena, MD, orthopedic surgeon, were among 12 physicians recognized during a recent celebration for Memorial's recent designation as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery and as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement.
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Pittsburghhas designated Memorial Medical Center as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery. Blue Distinction Centers for Spine Surgery are part of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s expansion of its Blue Distinction® designation.
Memorial is the only Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Somerset, Indiana and Westmoreland counties.
“Studies show that approximately eight out of 10 Americans suffer from back pain. Many of these individuals are candidates for surgery; therefore, it’s wonderful that people from across the region can feel confident knowing that they are getting the best in spine surgery right here at Memorial,” says David Carlson, DO, Chief Medical Officer, Conemaugh Health System. “Our highly-trained neurosurgeons offer the latest minimally invasive techniques and have the most advanced technology to treat conditions of the spine available to them. We are very proud of the care they provide and their dedication to ‘Excellence. Every Patient. Every Time.’”
Memorial’s neurosurgery program offers comprehensive spine surgery, including all aspects of spinal decompression, fusion and instrumentation, in addition to ProDisc-C Total Disc Replacement to treat cervical disc disease and kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty, which uses cement-like substances to stabilize spinal fractures caused by osteoporosis, falls or traumatic injury.
“This program supports Highmark’s consumerism approach to give members a greater hand in their health by providing tools to help members make informed choices about their health care,” said Carey Vinson, M.D., Vice President for Quality and Medical Performance Management at Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. “The Blue Distinction Centers designation offers members reliable quality-based information pertaining to Blue network-participating facilities when selecting a provider.”
“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.”
The selection criteria used to evaluate facilities were developed with input from a panel of expert physicians. To be designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery, the following types of criteria were evaluated. More information on selection criteria is available on 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
•Multi-disciplinary clinical pathways and teams to coordinate and streamline care, including transitions of care
•Shared decision making and preoperative patient education
The Blue Distinction designation is awarded by the Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield plans 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.
“Being recognized as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery is a very significant achievement,” says Alfred P. Bowles, Jr., MD, FACS, FICS, Chairman of the Department of Neuroscience and Divisional Chairman of Neurosurgery at Memorial. “My colleagues, Dr. Zafar Chowdhry and Dr. Kevin Zitnay, and I are committed to providing the safest and highest quality of care to our patients. While we appreciate this distinction, the true reward lies in the patients that we’re able to help.”
