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Lowell General Earns Blue Distinction® Center+ Designation for Spine, Knee + Hip Replacement Surgeries

February 4, 2020

Blue Cross Blue Shield has selected Lowell General Hospital as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Spine Surgery, as well as Knee and Hip Surgery, as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers® are nationally designated healthcare facilities that show a commitment to delivering high-quality patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed with input from the medical community and leading accreditation and quality organizations.

Facilities designated as Blue Distinction Centers® for Spine Surgery demonstrate expertise in cervical and lumbar fusion, cervical laminectomy and lumbar laminectomy/discectomy procedures, resulting in fewer patient complications and readmissions compared to other facilities.

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 hospital readmissions.

In addition to meeting these quality thresholds, facilities designated as Blue Distinction Centers+ are on average 20 percent more cost-efficient in an episode of care compared to other facilities. Quality is key: only those facilities that first meet nationally established, objective quality measures are considered for designation as a Blue Distinction Center+.

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