McLaren Macomb Recognized for Quality in Cardiac Care

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has recognized McLaren Macomb  as one of the first hospitals in the nation to receive a Blue Distinction Center^SM designation in the area of cardiac care, as part of the Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care® program.

Blue Distinction Centers are hospitals shown to deliver quality specialty care based on objective, transparent measures for patient safety and health outcomes that were developed with input from the medical community. This year, the national program has added a new designation level, Blue Distinction Centers, to recognize hospitals that deliver both quality and cost-efficient specialty care.
In 2006, the Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care program was developed to help patients find quality providers for their specialty care needs while encouraging healthcare professionals to improve the care they deliver.

To receive a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care^SM designation, a hospital must demonstrate success in meeting both general quality and safety criteria (such as preventing hospital-acquired infections) and cardiac-specific quality measures (related to lower rates of complications and death following cardiac surgery; and non-surgical procedures, such as cardiac stent placement) and, additionally, must show better cost efficiency relative to their peers.


Only those facilities that first meet Blue Distinction’s nationally established, objective quality measures will be considered for designation as a Blue Distinction Center.  McLaren Macomb is proud to be recognized by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for meeting the rigorous cardiac care selection criteria set by the Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care program.

Cardiac related procedures such as bypass and cardiac stent insertion cost the nation more than $28 billion annually.  The Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care program seeks to reduce this burden, by empowering patients with the knowledge and tools to find both quality and value for their cardiac care needs.

“Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan congratulates McLaren Macomb for its excellence in cardiac care.  Earning the Blue Distinction Center designation for Cardiac Care assures the community that it can rely on the high quality of cardiac care at this hospital,” said David Share, M.D., senior vice president, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Research shows that Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients, with lower rates of complications following certain cardiac procedures and lower rates of healthcare associated infections, compared with their peers. Blue Distinction Centers are also 20 percent more cost-efficient for those same procedures.

The Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care program identifies hospitals delivering quality care in bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, knee and hip replacements, spine surgery, and transplants.  These specialty areas comprise approximately 30 percent of inpatient hospital expenditures.  For more information about the program and for a complete listing of the designated facilities, please visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.