PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Sacred Heart Hospital’s Institute for Surgical Weight Loss has been designated by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association as a Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery.

The designation means Sacred Heart meets or exceeds stringent quality criteria that demonstrate reliability in delivering bariatric surgical care and better overall outcomes for patients. The Blue Centers designation was developed to help consumers locate quality care for bariatric surgery. Sacred Heart Hospital is the first hospital in the Pensacola area to earn the designation.

Blue Distinction Centers for Bariatric Surgery are required to have dedicated teams in place that provide a full range of weight loss surgery services, including inpatient care, post-operative care, follow-up and patient education. Sacred Heart Hospital’s facilities include a nine-bed inpatient unit specially designed and equipped to meet the needs of weight loss surgery patients, and a new state-of-the-art operating room designed for laparoscopic bariatric surgery.

The staff of the Institute for Surgical Weight Loss includes Dr. Jeffrey Lord, the area’s only fellowship trained bariatric surgeon who gained extensive experience in minimally invasive bariatric surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He has performed more than 1,000 weight loss surgeries.

The weight loss surgery team at Sacred Heart also includes a registered dietitian and a licensed psychologist who are involved in evaluating and counseling patients before and after weight loss surgery.
Dr. Lord and Sacred Heart’s surgical team provide patients with two options for minimally invasive bariatric surgery: Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery or a newer technique called Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding or lap-band® procedure.

The criteria for selection to the Blue Centers for Bariatric Surgery were developed with input from expert physician panels and national organizations. With a goal of improving patient health and safety, the Blue Center selection process includes a comprehensive evaluation of a facility’s volume, processes and outcome measures, including survival rates, post-surgical complications and sustained weight loss at two years after surgery. A focus in development of the Blue Centers is to reduce complications of treatment and surgery and therefore better manage costs.

Not all Blue Cross and Blue Shield benefit plans provide coverage for bariatric surgery. Members are encouraged to contact their local Blue Plan customer service representative who can explain specific coverage requirements and restrictions.

When launched, BCBS members will be able to find a state-by-state listing of recognized bariatric surgery centers by calling 1-800-476-BLUE or visiting the Blue Card Doctor and Hospital finder at www.BCBS.com.

For more information on Sacred Heart’s Institute for Surgical Weight Loss, call 416-1628.
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