Ministry Health Care Facilities Receive Blue Distinction Center Designation for Quality

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin has named Ministry Saint Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield and Ministry Saint Clare’s Hospital, Weston as Blue Distinction Centers.

Ministry Saint Joseph’s achieved the honor in both Spine Surgery and Knee and Hip Replacement, while Ministry Saint Clare’s was honored for Hip and Knee Replacement.

The Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care® program is a national designation awarded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality specialty care – which expanded recently to include more robust quality measures focused on improved patient health and safety.

Since 2006, consumers, medical providers and employers have relied on the Blue Distinction program to identify hospitals delivering quality care in Bariatric Surgery, Cardiac Care, Complex and Rare Cancers, Knee and Hip Replacements, Spine Surgery, and Transplants. The selection criteria used to evaluate facilities were developed with input from the medical community, and include general quality and safety metrics plus program specific metrics

“We are proud to have met the met the rigorous selection criteria set by the Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care program,” said Kris McGarigle, Vice President of Patient Care Services, Ministry Saint Clare’s Hospital.

Both Ministry Saint Joseph’s and Ministry Saint Clare’s provide these recognized specialties as the result of collaborative programs with Physician Specialists from Marshfield Clinic.

“These designations affirm the excellence and commitment of our staff and physician partners in combining state-of-the-art surgery with state-of-the-art care,” said Ministry Saint Joseph’s Chief Operating Officer Craig Cook.

This is the second time both facilities have received the Blue Distinction honors in these specialties.

“Blue Distinction status is reserved for health care facilities that have proven themselves as true leaders in specialty care and I applaud the ongoing efforts of these Ministry facilities to improve the quality and safety of patient care,” said Larry Schreiber, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin.

Research confirms that the newly designated Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients, with lower rates of complications and readmissions than their peers. The program provides consumers with tools to help them make better informed healthcare decisions. These results will also enable employers, working with their local Blue Plan, to tailor benefits to meet their individual quality objectives.

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About Ministry Health Care

Ministry Health Care, which includes the recently acquired Affinity Health System, is an integrated health care delivery system serving more than 1.1 million people across Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota. Ministry operations generate more than $2.2 billion in annual operating revenue with 15 hospitals, 46 clinics and nearly 12,000 employees. More than 650 physicians and advanced practice clinicians provide personalized care at Ministry primary and specialty care clinic locations. Home health care, hospice and long-term care services are also provided across the region.

 

Ministry was founded by the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother more than 120 years ago to further the healing ministry of Jesus by continually improving the health and well-being of all people, especially the poor. Ministry is ranked among the top 20 percent of health care systems in the country by Truven Health Analytics, formerly Thomson Reuters.

 

About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin (BCBSWi), which underwrites or administers the PPO and indemnity policies; Compcare Health Services Insurance Corporation (Compcare), which underwrites or administers the HMO policies; and Compcare and BCBSWi collectively, which underwrite or administer the POS policies. Independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ®ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin is available at www.anthem.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at  www.twitter.com/healthjoinin, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HealthJoinIn, or visit our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/healthjoinin.

 

About the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 38 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide healthcare coverage for 100 million members – one-in-three Americans.  For more information on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and its member companies, please visit www.BCBS.com.  We encourage you to connect with us on Facebook, check out our videos on YouTube, follow us on Twitter and check out The BCBS Blog, for up-to-date information about BCBSA.

Blue Distinction® Centers met overall quality measures for patient safety and outcomes, developed with input from the medical community. Blue Distinction® Centers+ also met cost measures that address consumers’ need for affordable healthcare. Individual outcomes may vary. National criteria is displayed on www.bcbs.com.  A Local Blue Plan may require additional criteria for facilities located in its own service area.  To find out which services and providers (including hospital based physicians) are covered under your policy, or to learn about Local Blue Plan Criteria, contact your Local Blue Plan; and contact your provider before making an appointment to verify its current Network and Blue Distinction Centers status. Each hospital’s Cost Index is calculated separately, based on data from its Local Blue Plan. Hospitals in portions of CA, ID, NY, PA, and WA may lie in areas served by two Local Blue Plans, resulting in two Cost Index figures; and their own Local Blue Plans decide whether all hospitals in these areas must meet Blue Distinction Centers+ national criteria for one or both Cost Index figures. Neither Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association nor any Blue Plans are responsible for damages, losses, or non-covered charges resulting from Blue Distinction or other provider finder information or care received from Blue Distinction or other providers.  To find out more, contact your Local Blue Plan.