Baptist Medical Center Downtown Selected as Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care

Jacksonville, Florida, April 11, 2007 -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida has named Baptist Medical Center Downtown as a Blue Distinction Center^SM for cardiac care. Baptist Downtown is one of only 26 hospitals in the state to be named a Blue Distinction Center.

Blue Distinction, an evolving program among Blue Plans across the country, was developed with the goal of giving consumers the data they need to make informed choices about health care while collaborating with leading providers to improve quality and affordability of specialty care. The Blue Distinction Centers for Cardiac Care are designated facilities within participating Blue Plans' service areas that meet stringent quality criteria, as established by expert physician panels and national organizations.

"The Blue Distinction initiative is based on strong collaboration with leading hospitals that meet clinically validated standards while delivering enhanced outcomes in patient care," says Dr. William Kerr, vice president, chief medical officer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. "The designation as a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care places Baptist Downtown among the top cardiovascular hospitals. We are fortunate to have access to this level of quality health care in Northeast Florida."

A full-service cardiac care facility, the Baptist Heart Hospital at Baptist Downtown met the following criteria for becoming a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care:

Full-service, accredited inpatient hospital facility providing a full range of services including inpatient cardiac care and cardiac rehabilitation;

Performing a required volume of percutaneous coronary interventions and coronary artery bypass graft surgeries;

Subspecialty board certification of cardiac team;

Ongoing quality management and improvement programs; and

Cardiac care processes and outcomes for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, percutaneous coronary interventions and coronary artery bypass graft surgery, including evaluation of complication and mortality rates.

"Measuring health care quality is complex, and it's no small challenge to create meaningful, timely data comparisons between hospitals and specialty programs. Being selected for the Blue Distinction program allows us to work side-by-side with Blue Cross in evaluating the best ways to move toward transparency, while continuing our own pioneering efforts in the use of evidence-based data to improve quality outcomes," says Keith Stein, MD, chief medical officer of Baptist Health.

For more information about cardiac care at Baptist Heart Hospital at Baptist Downtown, call 904.202.CARE (2273) or visit us at e-baptisthealth.com/heart. For more information about Blue Distinction Centers, call 800.583.9072 or visit Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida and Health Options .