Your Knee & Hip Replacement Experts in Eastern Iowa
Surgery Center Cedar Rapids is pleased to announce we have been awarded the Blue Distinction Center+ recognition by Blue Cross Blue Shield. As the only Ambulatory Surgery Center in Eastern Iowa with this distinction, and the only ASC in the state that also has the “+” distinction, this recognizes our facility as having a proven history of delivering exceptional care and results at an affordable cost.
“Surgery Center Cedar Rapids is humbled by receiving this Blue Distinction + from Blue Cross Blue Shield,” says Julie Brinegar, Executive Director of Surgery Center of Cedar Rapids. “For almost six years, Surgery Center Cedar Rapids has been providing high quality, lower cost care to our Total Knee and Total Hip replacement patients. This distinction validates the exceptional care we provide to our patients and is a testimony to the expert surgeons and staff working at Surgery Center Cedar Rapids who care for our patients every day.”
Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated health care facilities that show expertise in delivering high-quality patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures developed with input from the medical community and leading accreditation and quality organizations. Only those facilities that first meet nationally established quality and cost measures for Blue Distinction Centers are considered for designation as Blue Distinction Center+.
Facilities designated as Blue Distinction Centers for Knee and Hip Replacement demonstrate expertise in total knee and total hip replacement surgeries, resulting in fewer patient complications and readmissions. Designated facilities include hospitals (with and without an on-site intensive care unit) and ambulatory surgery centers (ASC). All designated facilities must maintain national accreditation, and ASCs are also required to have an advanced orthopedic certification. In addition to meeting these quality thresholds, facilities designated as Blue Distinction Center+ are, on average, 20 percent more cost-efficient in an episode of care compared to other facilities.
Knee and hip replacement procedures remain some of the most commonly performed, elective surgical procedures in the U.S., according to a 2018 study released by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
