Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina has selected Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville, N.C., as a Blue Distinction Center+ for knee and hip replacement surgeries, according to Mountain Xpress.
Here are three quick notes:
1. Hospitals 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 hospitals must maintain national accreditation, and are on average 20 percent more cost-efficient in an episode of care compared to other hospitals.
2. In 2010, the estimated cost of hip replacements averaged $17,500 and the estimated cost of knee replacements averaged $16,000, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
3. Pardee Hospital is a 222-bed, acute-care, nonprofit community hospital founded in 1953 and managed by UNC Health Care.