Jupiter Medical Center Earns Blue Distinction® Centers+ Designation for Quality and Cost-Efficiency in Bariatric Surgery

JUPITER, Florida – Jupiter Medical Center has earned the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) designation as a Blue Distinction^® Centers+ for Bariatric Surgery. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated healthcare facilities that show a commitment to high-quality patient safety and improved health outcomes, based on objective measures developed with input from the medical community and leading accreditation and quality organizations.

The Blue Distinction Centers for Bariatric Surgery program recognizes excellence across a full range of bariatric surgery services, including surgical care, post-operative care, outpatient follow-up care, and patient education. It is part of the organization’s Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.

Bariatric surgeries are among the most common elective surgeries in the U.S. — with more than 252,000 bariatric surgeries performed in 2018, according to the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).[1] 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.[2]

“With obesity reaching epidemic levels among U.S. adults, significant opportunities exist to improve the quality of care for bariatric surgeries,” says Jefferson Vaughn, MD, medical director of Jupiter Medical Center’s program. “The entire Jupiter Medical Center team is proud to be recognized for the quality of full-spectrum bariatric care we provide to our patients.”

Annual healthcare spending on obesity and obesity-related conditions expected is expected to rise by 2030 if the rate of obesity in the U.S. keeps its current pace.[3] Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for severely obese patients for several reasons. It allows for substantial, sustained weight loss, a benefit that improves or resolves obesity-related co-morbidities like type 2 diabetes. ASMBS findings also show that on average, five-year healthcare costs were 29 percent lower for patients who underwent bariatric surgery, linked to the reduction or elimination of obesity-related conditions.

To receive a Blue Distinction Centers+ for Bariatric Surgery designation, a healthcare facility must meet specific patient safety and bariatric-specific quality measures, including lower complication and readmission rates for laparoscopic procedures in sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, and adjustable gastric band. Designated facilities also must be nationally accredited at both the facility and bariatric program-specific levels, and they must demonstrate cost-efficiency compared to peer facilities. On average, Blue Distinction Centers+ are 20 percent more cost-efficient compared to other facilities.

Healthcare facilities are considered for designation as a Blue Distinction Center+ only if they first meet Blue Distinction’s nationally-established, objective quality measures.

Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find high-quality specialty care for bariatric surgery, cancer, cardiac symptoms, cellular immunotherapy, fertility, gene therapy, knee and hip replacement, maternity services, spine surgery, substance use treatment and recovery, and transplants. The program also encourages healthcare professionals to improve the care they deliver. According to research, designated Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate comparatively better quality and improved outcomes for patients.

For more information about the program and for a complete list of designated facilities, visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.

All companies and trademarks listed above are the property of their respective owners and used for identification purposes only and are in no way associated or affiliated with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Use of these trademarks does not imply endorsement. The Blue Cross® and Blude Distinction® are registered trademarks of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

3 Wang, Y. C., McPherson, K., Marsh, T., Gortmaker, S. L., & Brown, M. (2011). Health and economic burden of the projected obesity trends in the USA and the UK. Lancet (London, England), 378(9793), 815–825. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60814-3

About Jupiter Medical Center

Rated No. 1 for safety, quality and patient satisfaction, Jupiter Medical Center is the leading destination for world-class health care in Palm Beach County and across the Treasure Coast. The award-winning hospital is iconic throughout the state because of its outstanding team of physicians, state-of-the-art facilities, innovative techniques and technologies and commitment to compassionate care. Jupiter Medical Center is recognized as the region’s only independent, not-for-profit hospital providing an array of inpatient and outpatient services, including Heart & Vascular, Oncology, Orthopedics and Women & Children’s Healthcare Services.

For more information about Jupiter Medical Center, please call 561-263-2234 or visit www.jupitermed.com.

About the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association

The Blue Cross 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 Index^SM. 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, follow us on Twitter and check out our blog.

About Blue Distinction Centers

Blue Distinction Centers (BDC) met overall quality measures, developed with input from the medical community. A Local Blue Plan may require additional criteria for providers 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 healthcare. Each provider’s cost of care is evaluated using data from its Local Blue Plan. Providers 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 www.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 noncovered charges or other losses or damages resulting from Blue Distinction or other provider finder information or care received from Blue Distinction or other providers.