Mercy Medical Center West Lakes issued the following announcement on June 01.
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield has recognized MercyOne Clinton Medical Center, MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center, MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center and MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center with Blue Distinction® Center+ designations in the area of maternity care, as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. The designation places these MercyOne locations among the nationally designated facilities shown to deliver quality specialty care based on objective measures developed from the medical community for patient safety and better health outcomes.
“MercyOne is honored to be included by Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield among the nation’s best providers of maternity care,” said MercyOne CEO Bob Ritz. “MercyOne care teams are committed to providing a personalized experience for each mother, infant and their family while ensuring safe, quality care. Every woman and infant deserve this, and we are proud to have them choose to begin their journey at MercyOne.”
The Maternity Care program was designed to respond to the clinical challenges in maternity care. Overall, cost of care episodes for vaginal and cesarean births at BDC+ facilities are 20 percent less than those at non-Blue Distinction Centers+ facilities. Overall, episiotomy rates were 49 percent less at Blue Distinction Centers (BDC/BDC+) than at those at non-Blue Distinction Centers. In 2018, BDC/BDC+ facilities across the country cared for more than 40 percent of Blue Cross and Blue Shield commercially insured women giving birth.
In 2020, the Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care Program was expanded beyond traditional outcome measures to include assessments of internal quality improvement, data collection and dissemination, and internal protocols that better address clinical quality and equity issues in maternity care. Facility evaluations are based on objective measures developed with input from the medical community and leading accreditation and quality organizations. The goal is to provide a best-in-class maternity care designation that gives new and expectant parents access to higher quality and affordable maternity care, close to home.
To receive a Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care designation, a health care facility must have a maternal quality improvement program and conduct drills and simulations for adverse events. In addition, it must meet clinical outcome metrics at an even higher standard than the program’s last designation cycle. In addition to meeting these quality thresholds, facilities designated as Blue Distinction Centers+ are, on average, 20 percent more cost-efficient per episode of care compared to their peers.
The Blue Distinction Specialty Care program remains a trusted and valuable source for patients seeking quality care in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, cellular immunotherapy, fertility care, knee and hip replacements, maternity care, spine surgery, transplants and substance use treatment and recovery.
Original source can be found here.
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