In an effort to help prospective parents find hospitals that deliver quality
maternity care, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana announced
that Good Samaritan has been designated as one of the first hospitals
to receive the Blue Distinction® Center for Maternity Care designation, a new designation under the Blue
Distinction Specialty Care program.
Nearly four million babies are born in the U.S. annually, making childbirth
the most common cause of hospitalization. This new Blue Distinction Centers
for Maternity Care program evaluates hospitals on several quality measures,
including the percentage of newborns that fall into the category of early
elective delivery, an ongoing concern in the medical community. Compared
with babies born 39 weeks or later, early term infants face higher risks
of infant death and respiratory ailments such as respiratory distress
syndrome, pneumonia, and respiratory failure, among other conditions.
These babies also have a higher rate of admission to Neonatal Intensive
Care Units.
In addition, hospitals that receive a Blue Distinction Center for Maternity
Care designation agreed to meet requirements that align with principles
that support evidence-based practices of care, as well as having initiated
programs to promote successful breastfeeding, as described in the Baby-Friendly
Hospital Initiative by Baby-Friendly USA or the Mother-Friendly Hospital
program by the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) through
its “Ten Steps of Mother-Friendly Care.” The program also
evaluates hospitals on overall patient satisfaction, including a willingness
to recommend the hospital to others.
Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care, an expansion of the national
Blue Distinction Specialty Care program, are hospitals recognized for
delivering quality specialty care safely and effectively, based on objective
measures developed with input from the medical community.
“We are honored to be recognized as a Blue Distinction Center for
Maternity Care, especially the first year this award is given,”
stated Karen Haak, Chief Nursing Officer. “We practice evidence-based
care and promote healthy practices every day. To be acknowledged for our
care illustrates that we are providing the best care to our community.”
“As a Blue Distinction Center, Anthem is recognizing Good Samaritan
for its efforts to improve the quality of care for health care consumers,”
said Robert W. Hillman, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
in Indiana. “High quality care is not only cost effective, it results
in better health outcomes.”
Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies across the nation have recognized
more than 280 hospitals as Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care.
Hospitals recognized for these designations were assessed using a combination
of publicly available quality information and cost measures derived from
BCBS companies’ medical claims.
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, spine surgery and transplants. Research shows that, compared
to other facilities, those designated as Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate
better quality and improved outcomes for patients.
For more information about the program, visit
www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.