UK St. Claire Recognized with Blue Distinction® Centers+ Designation for Quality and Cost-Efficiency in Bariatric Surgery

UK St. Claire is proud to be recognized by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky with a Blue Distinction^® Centers+ for Bariatric Surgery designation, as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated healthcare facilities that show a commitment to delivering high-quality patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed with input from the medical community and leading accreditation and quality organizations.

The Blue Distinction Centers for Bariatric Surgery program provides a full range of bariatric surgery care; including surgical care, post-operative care, outpatient follow-up care, and patient education.

“Obesity affects nearly 42 percent of U.S. adults and impacts their lives with obesity-related health conditions,” said James Lynch, MD, SCH Bariatric/General Surgeon. “The UK St. Claire Weight Loss Center offers Bariatric Surgery to help dramatically reduce the risk of issues patients may experience, like diabetes, heart and lung problems, stroke, sleep apnea, joint disease, and many more.”

To receive a Blue Distinction Centers+ for Bariatric Surgery designation, a healthcare facility must demonstrate success in meeting patient safety measures as well as bariatric-specific quality measures, including complication and readmission rate for laparoscopic procedures in sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, and adjustable gastric band. All designated facilities must also be nationally accredited at both the facility and bariatric program-specific levels, as well as demonstrated cost-efficiency compared to its peers.

“Blue Distinction+ designation is an important recognition of UK St. Claire’s innovative and patient-centered approach to bariatric surgery quality,” said Jeff Reynolds, MD, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky’s medical director. “The Blue Distinction program recognizes commitment to quality and helps consumers identify high-performing health care providers. I congratulate the entire bariatric team at St. Claire for this well-deserved honor.”

For more information about the UK St. Claire Weight Loss Center, visit www.st-claire.org/weightloss. Consultations to meet with our team about both medical and surgical weight loss options can be scheduled by calling 606.783.7660.