MemorialCare Hospitals Achieve Blue Distinction Centers for Excellence in Spine Surgery, Knee and Hip Replacement

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., July 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- MemorialCare's Saddleback Medical Center, Orange Coast Medical Center and Long Beach Medical Center were each named a Blue Distinction Center by the Blue Cross Blue Shield for Spine Surgery and Knee and Hip Replacement. Hospitals that are named Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate quality care, treatment expertise, and better overall patient results.

"It is an honor to receive these distinctions from Blue Cross Blue Shield for MemorialCare Orthopedic & Spine Institute," says David Kim, M.D., executive vice president, MemorialCare Clinical Institutes, MemorialCare.  "Our leading orthopedic and spine physicians and our care teams ensure that the highest quality outcomes are achieved, resulting in industry leading quality metrics, all the while keeping the patient at the center of what we do."

Blue Distinction Centers for Knee and Hip Replacement have demonstrated expertise in total knee and total hip replacement surgeries. These Centers have lower complication rates and fewer hospital readmissions, underscoring their commitment to high-quality care.

Blue Distinction Centers for Spine Surgery provide comprehensive inpatient spine surgery services, including discectomy, fusion, and decompression procedures. These centers have lower readmission rates and fewer reoperations.

Long Beach Medical Center also received the Blue Distinction Center Plus designation for both knee and hip replacement and spine surgery, and Saddleback Medical Center and Orange Coast Medical Center received the Blue Distinction Center Plus designation for knee and hip replacement. Healthcare facilities with this distinction are recognized for their efficiency in delivering specialty care.

"We are always looking at how to invest in the right people and infrastructure that will create leading programs, delivering the highest value through focusing on the right care, at the right place, at the right time," says Kim.

MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center, Orange Coast Medical Center, and Saddleback Medical Center have all been recognized as Best U.S. Hospitals by U.S. News and World Report. In addition to these accolades, all offer Mako™ Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery, a groundbreaking technology that allows orthopedic surgeons to perform total knee replacements, partial knee replacements, and hip replacements with exceptional precision and accuracy.

About MemorialCare
MemorialCare is a not-for-profit, integrated healthcare delivery system with 225 care locations, including leading hospitals—Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Long Beach Medical Center, and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach; MemorialCare Medical Group and Greater Newport Physicians; MemorialCare Research Program; MemorialCare Select Health Plan; and numerous outpatient health, imaging, surgery, urgent care, physical therapy, breast health and dialysis centers throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties. Accolades include Nation's Best Health Systems and Workplaces, Top 50 U.S. Hospitals and Cardiovascular Hospitals, 10 Largest Children's Hospitals, 100 Best Hospitals - Spine and Prostate Surgeries, Best of Orange County and Long Beach Hospitals and Medical Groups, U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals and "high performing" in 31 clinical categories, and Newsweek World's Best Hospitals, Top 100 Hospitals, Best Maternity Hospitals – and more. Visit memorialcare.org. 

About Blue Cross Blue Shield
Blue Cross Blue Shield takes corporate responsibility seriously, building and supporting programs that positively impact healthcare in communities across America. Blue Cross Blue Shield's Blue Distinction Specialty Care is a national designation program, awarded by local Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield (BCBS) companies, recognizing healthcare providers that demonstrate expertise in delivering quality and affordable health care to meet consumers' specialty care needs—safely, effectively and cost-efficiently. The goal of the program is to help consumers find both quality and value for their specialty care needs, while encouraging healthcare professionals to improve the overall quality and delivery of care nationwide, providing a credible foundation for local Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield Plans to design benefits tailored to meet employers' own quality and cost objectives.

SOURCE MemorialCare