Evergreen Healthcare Earns National Recognition for Spine Surgery and Knee and Hip Replacement

KIRKLAND, Wash., July 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Evergreen Healthcare today announced its Evergreen Spine Institute and Orthopedic Center for Movement and Mobility recently earned national accolades from Regence BlueShield for the medical center's expertise in delivering quality healthcare solutions and results for spine surgery and hip and knee replacement patients.  

The awards designate Evergreen as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery and Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement and recognize the organization's reputation of excellence within comprehensive quality management programs, its experienced care teams and its state-of-the-art minimally invasive surgical and interventional techniques.  

"We are so proud of the high-quality care provided by our team of more than 40 specialists, nurses, technicians and therapists within the Spine Institute and Orthopedic Center," said Robert Malte, Evergreen Healthcare CEO.  "Their clinical expertise in these areas of specialty care has resulted in consistently successful results for our patients."

To earn this designation, Evergreen was evaluated based on an objective, evidence-based selection criteria established with input from expert physicians and medical organizations.  The evaluation criteria seek to identify medical facilities that deliver better overall quality and medical outcomes for a specific area of specialty care.

"Blue Distinction puts a high value on the consistent delivery of evidence-based care," said Dr. Allan Korn, chief medical officer of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA). "Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate our commitment to working with doctors and hospitals in communities across the country to identify leading institutions that meet objective quality criteria and deliver better overall outcomes in specialty patient care."

Evergreen's spine institute and orthopedic center specializes in a full range of surgical and medical treatments to diagnose and treat muscle, musculoskeletal, bone and joint problems. Its board-certified physicians utilize the most advanced surgical and non-surgical treatments with a focus on the highest quality of care and quick recovery.

In addition to the Regence awards, the Evergreen Spine Institute and Orthopedic Center for Movement and Mobility have also earned a five-star rating from HealthGrades for 2011.  

To learn more about Evergreen's orthopedic services visit www.evergreenhealthcare.org or call the Evergreen Healthline at 425.899.3000 to speak with a referral coordinator.  

About Evergreen Healthcare

Evergreen Healthcare, a public hospital district and community-based health care organization established in 1972, offers a breadth of services and programs that is among the most comprehensive in the region. More than 950 physicians provide clinical excellence within more than 70 specialties, including cardiac, oncology, surgical care, orthopedics, a Neuroscience Institute, Women's and Children's services, hospice care, pulmonary care, a Sleep Disorders Center and Home Health services care.  Evergreen serves more than 400,000 residents in its primary service area of northern King and southern Snohomish counties with Evergreen Medical Group, a network of primary and urgent care practices, and Evergreen Hospital Medical Center, its main hospital campus in Kirkland, Wash. Evergreen also provides emergency care at two sites; its main hospital campus and the Evergreen Redmond Medical Center.  In addition to clinical care, Evergreen offers extensive community health outreach and education programs, anchored by Evergreen Healthline, a 24/7 nurse consultation service.  For more information, visit www.evergreenhealthcare.org.

CONTACTS:

Kay Taylor
VP of Marketing
Evergreen Healthcare
425.899.2604

Kristi Clough
Firmani + Associates Inc.
206.443.9357
[email protected]

SOURCE Evergreen Healthcare