Huntington Hospital Earns Blue Distinction® Centers+ Designation for Cardiac Care

Blue Shield of California has recognized Huntington Hospital with a Blue Distinction Centers+ for Cardiac Care designation as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated providers that show expertise in delivering improved patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed with input from the medical community and leading accreditation and quality organizations.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA),1 cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of
death globally and is expected to claim more than 23.6 million lives annually by 2030. Blue Distinction Centers+ for Cardiac Care seek to empower patients with the knowledge and tools to find quality cardiac care. To receive a Blue Distinction Centers+ designation, hospitals must demonstrate expertise in delivering safe and effective cardiac care, focusing on cardiac valve surgery, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) episodes of care. Hospitals receiving a Blue Distinction Centers+ designation must also demonstrate better cost efficiency compared to their peers.

Only those hospitals that first meet nationally established quality measures for Blue Distinction Centers are considered for designation as a Blue Distinction Centers+.

“We are honored to once again be named a Blue Distinction Center, which is a testament to the excellent cardiac care we provide,” said Azhil (Alex) Durairaj, MD, medical director of cardiovascular services, Huntington Hospital. “Heart disease affects the lives of so many Americans. Our superb cardiac team’s response to combating this disease is not only providing outstanding care; it’s our dedication to expanding treatment through innovation, state-of-the-art technology, and community education.”

“We are thrilled to recognize Huntington Hospital with the Blue Distinction Centers+ for Cardiac Care
designation, which distinguishes the highest standards for healthcare quality, service, and patient safety, and best-in-class cost-efficiency,” said Susan Fleischman, MD, chief medical officer at Blue Shield of California. “Together, we are creating a healthcare system that is worthy of our family and friends and sustainably affordable.”

Hospitals recognized with this designation are assessed using a combination of quality information supplied by hospitals and third-party data registries, and cost measures derived from Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies’ medical claims.

Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality specialty care in the areas of bariatric surgery, cancer care, cardiac care, cellular immunotherapy, fertility care, gene therapy, knee and hip replacements, maternity care, spine surgery, and transplants, while encouraging health care professionals to improve the care they deliver. Research shows that compared to other providers, those designated as Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients. On average, Blue Distinction Centers+ are also 20 percent more cost-efficient than non-Blue Distinction Centers+ designated providers.
For more information about the program and for a complete listing of the designated providers, visit
www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.

About Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. Blue Shield of California is a tax-paying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Shield Association with 4.7 million members, 7,800 employees, and $22.9 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid, and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed $120 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation in the last three years to have an impact on California communities. For more news
about Blue Shield of California, please visit news.blueshieldca.com. Or follow us on LinkedIn,
Twitter, or Facebook.

About Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 36 independent, community based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide health care coverage for one in three Americans. BCBSA provides health care insights through Blue Cross Blue Shield, The Health of America Report® series and the national BCBS Health IndexSM. For more information on BCBSA and its member companies, please visit BCBS.com. We also encourage you to connect with us on Facebook, check out our videos on YouTube and follow us on Twitter.

About Blue Distinction Centers
Blue Distinction Centers (BDC) met overall quality measures, developed with input from the medical community. A Local Blue Plan may require additional criteria for providers located in its own service area; for details, contact your Local Blue Plan. Blue Distinction Centers+ (BDC+) also met cost measures that address consumers’ need for affordable healthcare. Each provider’s cost of care is evaluated using data from its Local Blue Plan. Providers in CA, ID, NY, PA, and WA may lie in two Local Blue Plans’ areas, resulting in two evaluations for cost of care; and their own Local Blue Plans decide whether one or both cost of care evaluation(s) must meet BDC+ national criteria. National criteria for BDC and BDC+ are displayed on www.bcbs.com. Individual outcomes may vary. For details on a provider’s in-network status or your own policy’s coverage, contact your Local Blue Plan and ask your provider before making an appointment. Neither Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association nor any Blue Plans are responsible for non-covered charges or other losses or damages resulting from Blue Distinction or other provider finder information or care received from Blue Distinction or other providers.

1 American Heart Association, https://www.heart.org/-/media/data-import/downloadables/heart-disease-andstroke-statistics-2018—at-a-glance-ucm_49