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Blue Cross of California Designates 'Center of Expertise' Hospitals for Bariatric Surgeries

Posted on: Wednesday, 20 July 2005, 18:01 CDT

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross of California (Blue Cross) today announced the establishment of a "centers of expertise" (COE) network for bariatric surgeries. Selection for the network was based on requests for information regarding both cost and quality factors obtained by Blue Cross. Hospitals that submitted data were evaluated against industry norms associated with higher quality of care. Quality of care measures included volume, mortality, readmission and complication rates as well as care management processes. These quality factors were combined with a review of cost factors relative to patient care for obesity surgery. Hospitals with the best combination of cost and quality results were designated "centers of expertise."

According to Dr. Jeff Kamil, vice president and medical director for Blue Cross, "While bariatric surgery can be a safe, effective way to combat the serious medical conditions associated with severe obesity, there are significant variations in patient outcomes and costs related to the surgery. By identifying centers of expertise we can provide our members with easy-to- use information about where better health care outcomes are being achieved."

Published medical studies have demonstrated that hospitals that perform a sufficient volume of these procedures and have an objective clinical process for selecting appropriate patients have better outcomes and lower mortality rates for patients who undergo the procedure. "Having this surgery has changed my life significantly," said Blue Cross member Jonathan Meek. "I worked with my physician and attended pre-operative support groups before deciding to have the procedure. As a result, the process was easy and painless but the follow-up care and support has been equally important."

"Bariatric surgery is the most effective means to treat morbid obesity but there are risks," said Andrew Posselt, MD, PhD, bariatric and transplant surgeon at UCSF Medical Center, a Blue Cross designated COE. "We are committed to working with our patients and providing them with comprehensive pre- and post-operative medical treatment in order to ensure that they receive quality care both before and after their surgery."

Based on National Institutes of Health guidelines, as many as 16 million people nationwide may qualify for bariatric surgery. In California alone, bariatric surgical procedures increased 40 percent between 2002 and 2003. "Blue Cross wants to work with hospitals to make sure bariatric operations are being done efficiently and appropriately," said Dr. Kamil. "We prefer that hospitals continue to volunteer information in order to improve patient satisfaction and medical outcomes."

Sheryl Maddox, another Blue Cross member to benefit from her surgery at Methodist Hospital in Arcadia, California, also a designated bariatric COE said, "I felt very confident with my Blue Cross physician. It was a simple process for me. The pre- and post-operative care I received from my doctor and the staff at Methodist Hospital was fantastic."

The following hospitals have been designated as centers of expertise in the Blue Cross Bariatric Surgery Network:

UC Davis Medical Center Sacramento, CA UCSF Medical Center San Francisco, CA El Camino Hospital Mountain View, CA Shasta Regional Medical Center Shasta, CA Fresno Surgery Center Fresno, CA St. Agnes Medical Center Fresno, CA Clovis Community Hospital Clovis, CA Huntington Memorial Hospital Pasadena, CA Methodist Hospital of So. California Arcadia, CA Brotman Medical Center Culver City, CA Bellflower Medical Center Bellflower, CA Chapman Medical Center Orange, CA UCI Medical Center Orange, CA Torrance Memorial Medical Center Torrance, CA Fountain Valley Regional Hospital & Medical Center Fountain Valley, CA Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center Fountain Valley, CA Pomerado Hospital Poway, CA Alvarado Hospital Medical Center San Diego, CA Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, CA

Blue Cross of California is one of the state's largest health insurers and together with its California affiliate, BC Life & Health, the company serves more than 7.6 million medical members. Headquartered in Southern California, Blue Cross of California offers a flexible product portfolio with a broad range of options for small, medium and large groups, as well as individual plans for people without access to group coverage, seniors and consumers who are eligible for state sponsored programs. Blue Cross of California is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Association and can be found on the web at http://www.bluecrossca.com/ .

Blue Cross of California

CONTACT: Michael Chee of Blue Cross of California, +1-805-557-6791,michael.chee@wellpoint.com

Web site: http://www.bluecrossca.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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