AVALA EARNS BLUE DISTINCTION® CENTER+ DESIGNATION FOR QUALITY AND COST-EFFICIENCY IN KNEE AND HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERIES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 1, 2023
Media Inquiries: Brooke Russell | 985.801.6212 | info@avala.com
Covington, Louisiana – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana has selected AVALA Hospital in Covington, Louisiana (AVALA), as a Blue Distinction® Center+ for Knee and Hip Replacement, 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.
Facilities designated as Blue Distinction Centers® for Knee and Hip Replacement demonstrate expertise in total knee and total hip replacement surgeries, resulting in fewer patient complications and hospital readmissions. Designated facilities include hospitals (with and without an onsite Intensive Care Unit) and Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASC). All designated facilities must maintain national accreditation, and ASCs are also required to have an advanced orthopedic certification. In addition to meeting these quality thresholds, hospitals designated as Blue Distinction® Centers+ are, on average, 20 percent more cost-efficient in an episode of care compared to other facilities.
Knee and hip replacement procedures remain some of the most commonly performed elective surgical procedures in the U.S., according to a 2018 study released by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. In 2014, there were 370,770 total hip replacements and 680,150 total knee replacements1.
AVALA is proud to be recognized by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana for meeting the robust selection criteria for knee and hip replacements set by the Blue Distinction® Specialty Care program. Quality is key: only those facilities that first meet nationally established, objective quality measures will be considered for designation as a Blue Distinction® Center+.
“As Chief Nursing Officer, I am proud of the work our clinical team does every day that has led us to achieve the quality care that our community deserves,” said Joy Melgar, MSN, RN, AVALA Chief Nursing Officer, “Without their hard work, patient care, and commitment to AVALA, we would not be where we are today. We are ecstatic to receive the Blue Distinction® Center+ designation from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana.”
AVALA’s commitment to quality is evident in our patients’ outcomes. Patients report high levels of satisfaction with their results and typically have short recovery periods due to the involvement of robotics in the operating room. AVALA is proud to be a trusted resource for knee and hip replacement surgery in the community. Proudly displaying that we are now a Blue Distinction® Center+ reinforces that our clinical teams provide exceptional care, maintaining and exceeding the AVALA standards, thus prioritizing patient trust and satisfaction.
The Blue Distinction® Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality care in the areas of bariatric surgery, cancer care, cardiac care, cellular immunotherapy, fertility care, gene therapy, knee and hip replacements, maternity care, spine surgery, substance use treatment, and recovery and transplants. Research for many of these programs shows that, compared to other providers, those designated as Blue Distinction® Centers demonstrate better quality and improved patient outcomes.
For more information about the program and for a complete listing of designated facilities, visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.
About AVALA
AVALA, a health network with a 21-bed hospital, diagnostic imaging, physical and hand therapy, physician clinics, and urgent orthopedic care, offers some of the most innovative and minimally invasive surgeries and procedures in Louisiana.
Offering a wide range of specialties and services, including robotic surgery, AVALA scores in the top 6% in the nation when comparing quality healthcare.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Founded in New Orleans in 1934, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is a tax-paying nonprofit health insurer. We are a private mutual company owned by our policyholders, with an independent Louisiana Board of Directors and no shareholders. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, we have eight regional offices to serve our customers around the state. We invite all Louisianians to visit our website at http://www.bcbsla.com/ or talk to us on social media.
About Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 36 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide health care coverage for one in three Americans. BCBSA provides health care insights through The Health of America Report series and the national BCBS Health Indexsm. For more information on BCBSA and its member companies, please visit BCBS.com. We also encourage you to connect with us on Facebook, check out our videos on YouTube, and follow us on X.
About Blue Distinction Centers
Blue Distinction® Centers (BDC) met overall quality measures for patient safety and outcomes, developed with input from the medical community. A Local Blue Plan may require additional criteria for facilities located in its own service area; for details, contact your Local Blue Plan. Blue Distinction® Centers+ (BDC+) also met cost measures that address consumers’ need for affordable health care. Each facility’s cost of care is evaluated using data from its Local Blue Plan. Facilities in CA, ID, NY, PA, and WA may lie in two Local Blue Plans’ areas, resulting in two evaluations for cost of care; and their own Local Blue Plans decide whether one or both cost of care evaluation(s) must meet BDC+ national criteria. National criteria for BDC and BDC+ are displayed on bcbs.com. Individual outcomes may vary. For details on a provider’s in-network status or your own policy’s coverage, contact your Local Blue Plan and ask your provider before making an appointment. Neither Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association nor any Blue Plans are responsible for non-covered charges or other losses or damages resulting from Blue Distinction® or other provider finder information or care received from Blue Distinction® or other providers.
