Cedar Crest Named Blue Distinction Center for Cancer

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Highmark Blue Shield (Highmark) has named Lehigh Valley Hospital - Cedar Crest as a Blue Distinction Centerfor Complex and Rare Cancers, focusing on complex inpatient and surgical care.

Blue Distinction® is a designation awarded by Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield companies to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality healthcare. Building on the successful results of earlier programs focused on cardiac care, bariatric surgery and transplants, the program was recently expanded to include the designation of 85 Blue Distinction Centers for Complex and Rare Cancers.

"Our mission is to reduce the burden that cancer places on patients and their families," says Keith Weinhold, vice president of cancer services for Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. "This notable distinction exemplifies our dedication to that mission and to the pursuit of excellent cancer care."

With plans to expand Blue Distinction into more common forms of cancer in the future, this initial phase assesses facilities on evaluation, treatment planning, complex inpatient care and major surgical treatments; all delivered by teams with distinguished expertise and subspecialty training for complex and rare cancers. Lehigh Valley's designation focuses on the following cancers:

• pancreatic cancer
• gastric cancer
• rectal cancer
• bladder cancer
• brain cancer - primary
• soft tissue sarcomas
• thyroid cancer - medullary or anaplastic

The evidence-based selection criteria used to evaluate facilities were developed in strategic collaboration with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network* (NCCN) and with input from a panel of expert clinicians. To be designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Complex and Rare Cancers, Lehigh Valley Hospital - Cedar Crest met the following selection criteria, among others posted at www.BCBS.com:

• exceeds volume threshold for annual surgical cases treated
• utilization of multidisciplinary team input for treatment planning, including sub-specialty trained teams
• participation in ongoing quality management and improvement programs for cancer care
• commitment to using clinical data registries and participating in relevant clinical research

"This program supports Highmark's consumerism approach to give members a greater hand in their health by providing tools to help members make informed choices about their health care," said Carey Vinson, M.D., vice president for quality and performance management at Highmark.

"The Blue Distinction Centers designation offers members reliable quality-based information pertaining to Blue network-participating facilities when selecting a provider," he said. "For Highmark members, this designation is significant because these are very rare cancers, and this expertise is not what is offered in any general cancer care facility," said Vinson. "It is highly specialized."

Highmark recognizes that the majority of patients' multidisciplinary treatment may be best accomplished by integrating the expertise available in a Blue Distinction Center with locally available treatment resources, especially for outpatient chemotherapy and radiotherapy, based on individual circumstances and patient preference. Optimal support of a patient's comprehensive cancer care needs may be achieved by coordination of care between the patient and their family, local physicians, the Blue Distinction Center and Highmark.

For more information about complex and rare cancer care at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, call 610-402-CARE or visit us at lvh.com.

* This organization has provided information and input, but does not formally endorse the Blue Distinction Centers program.

Note: Designation as Blue Distinction Centers means these facilities' overall experience and aggregate data met objective criteria established in collaboration with expert clinicians' and leading professional organizations' recommendations. Individual outcomes may vary. To find out which services are covered under your policy at any facilities, please call your local Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield Plan.

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About Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network

A 988-bed premier academic community hospital, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network comprises three hospital facilities - two in Allentown and one in Bethlehem, Pa. and Lehigh Valley Health Services, providing home health, hospice, pharmaceutical and health management services. All three Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network hospitals are designated national Magnet hospitals for excellence in nursing. Additional information is available at www.lvh.org.

About Highmark Blue Shield

As one of the state's leading health insurers and with nearly 70 years of community involvement, Highmark Blue Shield helps members live longer, healthier lives by ensuring access to affordable, high quality health insurance and services. Highmark offers the widest range of products, access to all area hospitals and the most responsive customer service. Highmark exerts an enormous economic impact throughout Pennsylvania. A recent study states that Highmark's positive impact exceeded $2.5 billion. Employing more than 5,000 people in central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley, Highmark provides the resources to give its members a greater hand in their health.

Highmark Blue Shield is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans. For more information about Highmark Blue Shield, visit www.highmark.com.

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