SEQUOIA HOSPITAL HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS A BLUE DISTINCTION CENTER FOR CARDIAC CARE®
REDWOOD CITY, CA- May 11, 2009 - Sequoia Hospital has been designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California. To date, Sequoia Hospital is one of 400 facilities nationwide who has received a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care designation. Sequoia Hospital offers comprehensive cardiac care services, including inpatient cardiac care, cardiac rehabilitation, cardiac catheterization and cardiac surgery.
Blue Distinction Centers for Cardiac Care demonstrate their commitment to quality care, resulting in better overall outcomes for cardiac patients. Sequoia Hospital meets evidence-based clinical criteria, developed in collaboration with expert physicians’ and medical organizations, including the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), and is subject to periodic re-evaluation as criteria continue to evolve.
“The Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care designation shows our commitment to providing the highest quality healthcare to our community” said Glenna Vaskelis, Hospital President and CEO. “I’d like to thank our cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, nurses and staff for their hard work and dedication.”
For the past two decades, Sequoia Hospital has ranked among the nation's leading providers of cardiovascular care. The risk-adjusted mortalities achieved by Sequoia surgeons are among the very best in California and have been for more than a decade. Cardiovascular physicians at Sequoia also have gained worldwide acclaim for the pioneering technological advances they have contributed to the field of cardiovascular medicine.
To be designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care, Sequoia Hospital met the selection criteria posted at www.BCBS.com, which includes:
• an established cardiac care program, performing required annual volumes for certain procedures (e.g. a minimum of 125 cardiac surgical procedures annually, including both CABG and/or valve surgery)
• appropriate experience of its cardiac team, including sub-specialty board certification for interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons
• an established acute care inpatient facility, including intensive care, emergency and a full range of cardiac services
• full accreditation by The Joint Commission, Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) or national equivalent
• low overall complication and mortality rates
• a comprehensive quality management program
Blue Distinction is a designation awarded to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality healthcare. The designation is based on rigorous, evidence-based selection criteria established in collaboration with expert physicians’ and medical organizations’ recommendations. Today, more than 800 Blue Distinction Center designations have been awarded to facilities nationwide, providing consumers with a framework for making informed decisions on where to go for specialty care in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, and transplants.
Note: Designation as Blue Distinction Centers means these facilities' overall experience and aggregate data met objective criteria established in collaboration with expert clinicians' and leading professional organizations’ recommendations. Individual outcomes may vary. To find out which services are covered under your policy at any facilities, please call your local Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield Plan.
