In February 2016, Swedish Covenant Hospital was named a Blue Distinction Center+ for
Cardiac Care and
Maternity Care by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA). The national designation distinguishes health care facilities that have proven to provide safe, effective and cost-efficient care to members of the community in these key areas.
To earn the title of a Blue Distinction Center+, Swedish Covenant Hospital underwent a rigorous application process designed to evaluate whether the hospital met or surpassed nationally established objective quality measures. These measures examined the expertise of the medical team, the number of times particular procedures have been performed by the medical staff and the facility’s procedure results history.
In addition to meeting the standards for a standard Blue Distinction Center, Swedish Covenant Hospital was rewarded a Center+ status for the efficiency by which the services were delivered. This important distinction signifies a desire and ability to surpass additional measures related to patient goals.
Swedish Covenant Hospital is one out of three hospitals in Chicago to receive a Blue Distinction+ status in Cardiac Care and one out of five in Maternity.
“It’s an honor to be named a Blue Distinction Center+,” said Maria BaMaung, MBA, BSN, RN, the director of nursing for the family birthing center. “At Swedish Covenant Hospital, we recognize the need to increase access to maternity education and resources in our community and throughout Chicago. We hope that being recognized as a safe, effective and cost-efficient option for individuals will help further this cause.”
The Blue Distinction Specialty Care Recognition program was developed to help patients select facilities with expertise in delivering specialty care. Blue Distinction Centers have been proven to provide better quality care to patients, resulting in improved outcomes with a lower rate of complications and health care-associated infections following procedures.
The Swedish Covenant Hospital Cardiology Department also recently earned the
National Cardiovascular Data Registry’s ACTION Registry—Platinum Performance Award, recognizing the department’s ability to surpass nationally recognized “platinum” standards for best-practice performance measures.
“The Cardiology Department is proud to earn yet another distinction for providing compassionate care, cutting-edge treatments and distinguished rehabilitation programs,” said
Sung Sup Kim, M.D., a board-certified internal medicine physician with Swedish Covenant Medical Group specializing in cardiovascular disease. “I hope this recognition helps enable community members to learn more about our excellent cardiology programs.”
To learn more about Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care, please visit
www.bcbs.com or contact your Local Plan.
