St. Mary Medical Center has been designated a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Blue Distinction Centers® are part of a national designation program that recognizes facilities demonstrating expertise in delivering quality specialty care safely and effectively.
“This designation emphasizes our cardiac team’s dedication to excellence in health outcomes and commitment to patient care,” said Janice Ryba, CEO, St. Mary Medical Center. “We are proud our team has earned this important, national distinction.”
Receiving a Blue Distinction Center designation indicates St. Mary Medical Center’s cardiac program meets quality-focused criteria resulting in better outcomes for patients seeking inpatient cardiac care services, including cardiac rehabilitation, cardiac catheterization and cardiac surgery. Guiding principles for the selection process were determined by a collaboration of physician experts and medical organizations, a review of medical literature, and a thorough analysis of meaningful quality measures from objective, publicly available sources.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, responsible for nearly 610,000 deaths each year. Each year, nearly 735,000 Americans will have a heart attack, the majority of those will be a first heart attack.
“The prevalence of heart disease has created a need for comprehensive, quality cardiac care in our communities,” said Ryba. “As a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care, we have shown our commitment to fighting heart disease, by continuously improving and investing in advanced technologies and providing the most experienced cardiac care team available.”
For more information on services at St. Mary Medical Center, visit comhs.org/stmary.