North Central Baptist Hospital Earns Blue Distinction® Center Designation for Quality in Spine Surgery

BlueCross BlueShield of Texas has selected North Central Baptist Hospital as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery, as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated healthcare facilities shown to deliver improved patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies with input from the medical community.

“This designation speaks to the commitment of our staff and physicians to ensure that our patients receive safe, high-quality care and a great experience,” said Bill Waechter, North Central Baptist Hospital CEO.

Spinal surgeries are one of the most frequent types of elective surgeries in the U.S. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, there were more than 465,000 spinal fusion operations in the U.S. in 2011, a procedure commonly done in the lumbar region of the lower back to treat back pain.

"North Central Baptist Hospital’s designation as a Blue Distinction Center in the area of Spine Surgery stems from our commitment to high quality patient care and superior surgical outcomes for spine patients,” said Dr. Jonathan Duncan, Orthopedic Spine Surgeon with TSAOG Orthopaedics.

Hospitals designated as Blue Distinction Centers for Spine Surgery demonstrate expertise in cervical and lumbar fusion, cervical laminectomy and lumbar laminectomy/discectomy procedures, resulting in fewer patient complications and hospital readmissions compared to other hospitals. Designated hospitals must also maintain national accreditation to be designated.

North Central Baptist Hospital is proud to be recognized by BlueCross BlueShield of Texas for meeting the rigorous selection criteria for spine surgery set by the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.

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