French Hospital Designated Blue Distinction Hospital for Cardiac Care Excellence
FHMC received the honor as part of the Blue Distinction Centers for Cardiac Care program, through 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 that were developed with input from the medical community.
To receive a Blue Distinction Center+ for Cardiac Care designation, a hospital must demonstrate its expertise in delivering safe and effective cardiac care, focusing on cardiac valve surgery, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) episodes of care. A hospital must also have earned national accreditation at the facility level. In addition to meeting established quality thresholds, these hospitals must demonstrate better cost-efficiency compared to its peers.
“French Hospital continues to lead the nation in quality, safety, and patient satisfaction with our award-winning cardiac programs,” says FHMC President & CEO Alan Iftiniuk. “This Blue Distinction Center+ is another testament to our ongoing commitment to providing outstanding cardiac care, and we are honored to receive this prestigious recognition.”
FHMC is home to the Central Coast’s first cardiac hybrid suite, a space where interventional radiologists, cardiologists, and cardiovascular surgeons can work side-by-side in the same room, at the same time.
Located in the Copeland, Forbes and Rossi Cardiac Care Center within FHMC, the George Hoag Family Advanced Hybrid Surgical Suite delivers the latest in high-tech imaging and newly developed surgical capabilities. The hybrid suite at also houses San Luis Obispo County’s only cardiac electrophysiology program (EP), which is the science of diagnosing and treating heart rhythm disorders. In addition, FHMC’s new Copeland Health Education Pavilion features an advanced life-saving CPR training classroom for health care providers, the Pacific Gas and Electric CPR Training Classroom.
Learn more about the Blue Distinction Center+ program and see a complete listing of the designated facilities.
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2013 on CDC WONDER Online Database released 2015. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2013, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program: http://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html. Accessed on Feb 3, 2015.
About French Hospital Medical Center
French Hospital Medical Center, located in San Luis Obispo, California, has been named one of the Nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics, and is rated among the top hospitals in the nation for cardiac, orthopedic and GI services. French Hospital has achieved prestigious designation as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission. The Copeland, Forbes, and Rossi Cardiac Care Center provides the latest innovative cardiac and imaging technology. The hospital is home to the unique Hearst Cancer Resource Center offering free education, resources and support to cancer patients and their families. In addition, an expansion and modernization project is underway at French Hospital, including the new Copeland Health Education Pavilion, which provides the community access to comprehensive health care education resources free of charge. French is a Dignity Health Central Coast hospital which also includes Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, CA, Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, CA, St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, CA and St. John’s Pleasant Valley in Camarillo, CA. Dignity Health Central Coast is an integrated network of top quality hospitals, physicians from the most prestigious medical schools, and comprehensive outpatient services including primary care offices, premier ambulatory surgery centers, technologically-advanced laboratories and imaging centers and a full service home health agency; all recognized for quality, safety and service. Each hospital is supported by an active philanthropic Foundation to help meet the growing health care needs of our communities.
About Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
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 healthcare 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 www.BCBS.com. We encourage you to connect with us on Facebook, check out our videos on YouTube, follow us on Twitter and check out The BCBS Blog for up-to-date information about BCBSA.
About Blue Distinction Centers
Blue Distinction Centers (BDC) met overall quality measures for patient safety and outcomes, developed with input from the medical community. A Local Blue Plan may require additional criteria for facilities located in its own service area; for details, contact your Local Blue Plan. Blue Distinction Centers+ (BDC+) also met cost measures that address consumers’ need for affordable healthcare. Each facility’s cost of care is evaluated using data from its Local Blue Plan. Facilities in CA, ID, NY, PA, and WA may lie in two Local Blue Plans’ areas, resulting in two evaluations for cost of care; and their own Local Blue Plans decide whether one or both cost of care evaluation(s) must meet BDC+ national criteria. National criteria for BDC and BDC+ are displayed on www.bcbs.com. Individual outcomes may vary. For details on a provider’s in-network status or your own policy’s coverage, contact your Local Blue Plan and ask your provider before making an appointment. Neither Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association nor any Blue Plans are responsible for non-covered charges or other losses or damages resulting from Blue Distinction or other provider finder information or care received from Blue Distinction or other providers.
Publish date:
Tuesday, April 05, 2016