Blessing’s heart care quality receives national recognition from Blue Cross Blue Shield

QUINCY — Blessing Health recently received a Blue Distinction® Center for Cardiac Care designation by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated providers that meet quality standards and have proven to deliver quality care with safe practices that lead to better health outcomes for patients.

Nationally, Blue Distinction Centers for Cardiac Care are providing quality care for patients and have lower in-hospital mortality rates and lower bleeding complication rates for angioplasty than non-Blue Distinction Centers. Designated facilities also meet national standards, with patients facing fewer readmissions and mortality rates for coronary artery bypass graft procedures and heart attacks, compared to facilities that do not meet the criteria.

Health care facilities recognized as Blue Distinction Centers are assessed using quality information supplied by third-party data registries, which are evaluated based on objective measures that were developed with input from the medical community and leading accreditation and quality organizations.

“This designation recognizes the commitment of a large team of Blessing Health caregivers whose focus is to provide people across the Tri-State region with exceptional heart care so they can remain in the area, close to their support network of family and friends,” Dr. Jeffrey Cook, cardiologist for Blessing Health, said in a press release. “This is a win for the residents of the region.”

Blessing Health’s Heart and Vascular Center offers a comprehensive care program with open heart surgery, heart catheterization and a number of specialty procedures, including cardiac electrophysiology to correct abnormal heart rhythms; TAVR, a procedure that replaces diseased heart valves without open heart surgery; and Watchman, a procedure that decreases the risk for stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation not caused by a valve problem. Blessing cardiologists see patients in Quincy and Hannibal, and at clinics in Pittsfield, Hamilton, Warsaw and Macomb in Illinois and Memphis and Kahoka, Mo.

In a press release, Dr. Derek Robinson, chief medical officer of BCBSIL, said “This recognition shows that our members, employers, providers and communities can count on Blue Distinction Centers for access to health care that helps our members achieve their health goals.”

For more information about the program and for a complete listing of the designated providers, visit www.bcbs.com.