Moore Regional Named Blue Distinction Center+ for Knee and Hip Replacement

David Casey, M.D.

Jason Guevara, M.D.

PINEHURST – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross) has selected FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Knee and Hip Replacement, part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.

Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated health care facilities shown to deliver improved patient safety and better health outcomes based on objective measures developed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies with input from the medical community.

According to studies published in the June 2014 Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, knee and hip replacement procedures are among the fastest growing medical treatments in the U.S. In Fiscal Year 2015, orthopaedic surgeons affiliated with Moore Regional performed 1,593 knee and hip replacement surgeries. By May of this year, they had performed another 1,026 procedures.

FirstHealth surgeons attribute the success of Moore Regional’s knee and hip replacement program to the quality of care patients receive throughout their surgical experience.

“We have always known that FirstHealth of the Carolinas offers the very best care for our total hip and knee patients,” says Jason Guevara, M.D., of Pinehurst Orthopedic Group. “The staff always makes sure our patients are given the very best care, which allows us to get the best result for our patients. Now Blue Cross has recognized Moore Regional as a Blue Distinction Center+ for hip and knee replacement, further cementing what I already knew – that our patients receive only the highest quality health care and have better outcomes because of it.”

David Casey, M.D., of Pinehurst Surgical, agrees. “Patients coming to FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital experience a highly focused multi-disciplinary team that addresses every aspect of their total hip and knee care and delivers this care with world-class quality and a personalized touch," he says.

Hospitals designated as Blue Distinction Centers+ for Knee and Hip Replacement must maintain national accreditation and demonstrate expertise resulting in fewer patient complications and hospital readmissions. These hospitals are also, on average, 20 percent more cost-efficient in an episode of care compared to other hospitals.

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, maternity care, spine surgery, and transplants, while encouraging health care professionals to improve the care they deliver.

“We’re doing the homework for our customers by putting a spotlight on hospitals and facilities that offer high quality services at a fair price,” said Dr. Brian Caveney, chief medical officer of BCBSNC. “With health care costs continuing to rise, patients want to know how much value they are getting for their health care dollar. Identifying which providers meet or exceed industry standards is an important part of that equation.”

Moore Regional received Blue Distinction Center+ designations for cardiac and maternity care earlier this year.

For more information about the Blue Distinction Center+ program and for a complete listing of the designated facilities, please visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction. For more information about the orthopaedic services provided by FirstHealth of the Carolinas, visit www.firsthealth.org/ortho.

About Blue Cross:

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina improves the health and well-being of its customers and communities by providing innovative health care products, services and information to more than 3.89 million members, including approximately 1 million served on behalf of other Blue Plans. Since 1933, Blue Cross has worked to make North Carolina a better place to live through its support of community organizations, programs and events that promote good health. It has been recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute every year since 2012. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Visit BCBSNC online at bcbsnc.com.

About Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 36 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide health care coverage for nearly 105 million members – one in three Americans. For more information on the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and its member companies, please visit bcbs.com.