Shannon is proud to be recognized by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas with
a Blue Distinction® Centers+ for Bariatric Surgery designation, as
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.
The Blue Distinction Centers for Bariatric Surgery program provides a full
range of bariatric surgery care, including surgical care, post-operative
care, outpatient follow-up care, and patient education.
Bariatric surgeries are among the most common elective surgeries in the
U.S. — with more than 252,000 bariatric surgeries performed in 2018
based on a report from the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric
Surgery (ASMBS). Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) estimates that nearly 42.7 percent of U.S. adults and 18.5 percent
of youth are obese and are impacted by obesity-related health conditions.
With obesity reaching epidemic levels among U.S. adults, a significant
opportunity exists to improve quality care for bariatric surgeries within
the national healthcare system.
To receive a Blue Distinction Centers+ for Bariatric Surgery designation,
a healthcare facility must demonstrate success in meeting patient safety
measures as well as bariatric-specific quality measures, including complication
and readmission rate for laparoscopic procedures in sleeve gastrectomy,
gastric bypass, and adjustable gastric band. All designated facilities
must also be nationally accredited at both the facility and bariatric
program-specific levels, as well as demonstrated cost-efficiency compared
to its peers. Facilities designated as Blue Distinction Centers+ are on
average 20 percent more cost-efficient in an episode of care compared
to other facilities.
Shannon is also designated as a Health Care Center of Excellence (HCCOE)
for Bariatric Surgery through BlueCross BlueShield of Texas. The HCCOE program is a designation program that identifies Texas hospitals
in the Blue Essentials network that have demonstrated they deliver quality
specialty care in a safe, effective and cost-efficient manner. This program
was designed to guide consumers in finding quality and value for their
specialty care needs. It is also committed to providing both consumers
and physicians with increased transparency on provider quality and cost.
Health Care Centers of Excellence are evaluated using industry standard
quality metrics, specific to each clinical and/or surgical program. Specialty
Care Facilities must achieve this Center of Excellence designation by
first passing the rigorous, evidence-based selection criteria established
in collaboration with leading medical specialists and societies, and consider
those factors that impact care and cost, including:
The expertise of the medical team
The number of times the facility has performed the procedure
The facility's track record on quality, safety, and efficiency
