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News Release

Media Contacts:
Christina Chavira
Communications Specialist
530.332.5589 - office
christina.chavira@enloe.org        

Enloe designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery®

CHICO, Calif., July 1, 2009 – Anthem Blue Cross has designated Enloe Medical Center as a Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery. 

Obesity is widely recognized as a contributor to serious health risks. The total number of bariatric surgeries increased 400 percent from 1998 to 2004, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Bariatric surgery may help some individuals reduce extreme obesity and its associated health risks, and Blue Distinction provides objective information to help them make informed decisions when choosing a provider.

“The award reflects the great work accomplished by our Bariatric Program team headed by Drs. Deron Ludwig and Erik Simchuk and program nurses Kathy Hickam, Dana Rice and Sheila Oswalt,” said Mike Wiltermood, Enloe’s Chief Executive Officer.

Enloe’s Bariatric Program provides a full range of bariatric surgery care services, including inpatient care, post-operative care, patient education and support programs. In June 2007, Enloe, with bariatric surgical director Dr. Ludwig received a three-year designation as a Center of Excellence from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and Surgical Review Corporation.

To be designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery, Enloe met the selection criteria posted at www.BCBS.com, which includes:

  • an established bariatric surgery program, actively performing these procedures for the most recent 12-month period and performing a required minimum volume of 125 such surgeries annually;
  • appropriate experience of its bariatric surgery team;
  • an acute care inpatient facility, including intensive care and emergency services;
  • full accreditation by a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services-deemed national accreditation organization;
  • and a comprehensive quality management program.

Blue Distinction is a designation awarded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality health care. The designation is based on rigorous, evidence-based selection criteria established in collaboration with expert physicians’ and medical organizations recommendations. Today, more than 800 Blue Distinction Center designations have been awarded to facilities nationwide, providing consumers with a framework for making informed decisions on where to go for specialty care in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, and transplants.

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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Enloe Medical Center is a local, nonprofit health care organization. For more information, please call 530/332-7300 or visit us online at http://www.enloe.org.   Enloe Medical Center is located at 1531 Esplanade Chico, Calif.  95926

 Anthem Blue Cross is the trade name of Blue Cross of California. Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Association. ® ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross Association.