Two Hospitals in Central Pennsylvania Earn Designation
CAMP HILL, Pa., March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Highmark Blue Shield is
pleased to announce the recognition of Penn State Hershey Medical Center
and Lehigh Valley Hospital as Blue Distinction Centers for Complex and Rare
Cancers.
Complex and rare cancers comprise approximately 15 percent of new
cancer cases each year, making it difficult for patients to locate or
research facilities with oncologists or surgical teams that are experienced
in treating these specific malignancies.
Blue Distinction Centers for Complex and Rare Cancers are facilities
within participating Blue Cross and Blue Shield network service areas that
offer comprehensive inpatient cancer care programs for adults, delivered by
multidisciplinary teams with subspecialty training and distinguished
clinical expertise in treating the following complex and rare subtypes of
cancer:
-- acute leukemia (inpatient/non-surgical)
-- bladder cancer
-- bone cancer
-- brain cancer -- primary
-- esophageal cancer
-- gastric cancer
-- head and neck cancers
-- liver cancer
-- ocular melanoma
-- pancreatic cancer
-- rectal cancer
-- soft tissue sarcomas
-- thyroid cancer -- medullary or anaplastic
The Blue Distinction Centers for Complex and Rare Cancers designation
is focused primarily on multidisciplinary treatment planning and complex,
major surgical treatments.
"This program supports Highmark's consumerism approach to give members
a greater hand in their health by providing tools to help members make
informed choices about their health care," said Carey Vinson, M.D., vice
president for quality and performance management at Highmark Blue Cross
Blue Shield. "The Blue Distinction Centers designation offers members
reliable quality-based information pertaining to Blue network-participating
facilities when selecting a provider."
Among other selection criteria, these hospitals met the following
thresholds necessary to be named as Blue Distinction Centers for Complex
and Rare Cancers:
-- has multidisciplinary team input, including sub-specialty trained teams
for complex and rare cancers and demonstrated depth of expertise across
cancer disciplines in medicine, surgery, radiation oncology, pathology
and radiology
-- demonstrates ongoing quality management and improvement programs for
cancer care
-- demonstrates an ongoing commitment to using clinical data registries
and providing access to appropriate clinical research for complex and
rare cancers
-- demonstrates sufficient volume of experience in treating rare and
complex cancers
Blue Distinction Centers for Complex and Rare Cancers were developed in
strategic collaboration with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
(NCCN) and input from a panel of leading clinicians and professional
organizations.
Blue Distinction(R) is a designation awarded by Blue Cross and Blue
Shield companies to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in
delivering quality health care. The designation is based on rigorous,
evidence-based selection criteria established in collaboration with leading
clinicians, medical societies and professional organizations.
With the current areas, including cardiac care and bariatric surgery
already in place, Highmark Blue Shield will have a more comprehensive
program focused on quality specialty care compared to other health plans.
This designation is for 18 months, and institutions that are a part of the
program also are subject to periodic re-evaluation as criteria continue to
evolve.
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 medical societies'
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.
About Highmark Blue Shield
As one of the state's leading health insurers and with nearly 70 years
of community involvement, Highmark Blue Shield helps members live longer,
healthier lives by ensuring access to affordable, high quality health
insurance and services. Highmark offers the widest range of products,
access to all area hospitals and the most responsive customer service.
Highmark exerts an enormous economic impact throughout Pennsylvania. A
recent study states that Highmark's positive impact exceeded $2.5 billion.
Employing more than 5,000 people in central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh
Valley, Highmark provides the resources to give its members a greater hand
in their health.
Highmark Blue Shield is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and
Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue
Shield Plans.
SOURCE Highmark
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Related links:
http://www.highmark.com
CONTACT:
Leilyn Perri of Highmark Inc.,
+1-717-302-4243, leilyn.perri@highmark.com
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