Houston Northwest Medical Center Designated as a
Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric SurgerySM
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas has designated Houston Northwest Medical Center as a Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery.
Obesity is widely recognized as a contributor to serious health risks. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the total number of bariatric surgeries increased 400 percent from 1998 to 2004.Bariatric surgery may help some individuals reduce extreme obesity and its associated health risks, and Blue Distinction provides objective information to help them make informed decisions when choosing a provider.
Houston Northwest Medical Center provides a full range of bariatric surgery care services, including inpatient care, post-operative care, outpatient follow-up and patient education.
“We are pleased that the designation of Blue Distinction Centers provides our members with practical information to help them make better health care decisions when they are faced with the need for bariatric surgery,” says Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, vice president and chief medical officer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. “The designation of Blue Distinction Centers also provides another opportunity for Blue Cross to demonstrate our commitment to working with physicians and hospitals in our network who deliver care that meets the high quality standards of this special program.”
Houston Northwest Medical Center met numerous selection criteria thresholds necessary to be named as a Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery, including:
- offering a full-service inpatient hospital facility
- being fully accredited by The Joint Commission or Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program
- performing a required volume of bariatric surgeries during the recent 12 month reporting period
- being staffed by an experienced and appropriately credentialed bariatric surgical team
- being supported by appropriate equipment and staffing
- establishing documented policies and procedures for patient care and follow-up care
- demonstrating a commitment to quality improvement, as demonstrated by its ongoing quality management and improvement programs
The full list of Blue Distinction selection criteria is available to the public at www.BCBS.com/bluedistinction.
Blue Distinction® is a designation awarded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies 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 leading clinicians, medical societies and professional organizations. 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.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas – the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas – is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with nearly 40,000 physicians and 400 hospitals to serve 4 million members in all 254 counties. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas is a division of Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), the country’s largest customer owned health insurer and fourth largest health insurer overall. HCSC is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
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.