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HYANNIS, MA (February 16, 2024) Cape Cod Hospital is proud to be recognized by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts with a Blue Distinction® Centers (BDC) for Maternity Care designation as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. To earn this designation, each facility must deliver quality care, safely and effectively. The Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care program plays a key role in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s (BCBSA) National Health Equity Strategy aimed at reducing racial health disparities across the care spectrum and improving patient outcomes for all Americans. To align with this strategy, the Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care program enhanced its quality and measurement standards to recognize higher-quality facilities that have taken action to respond effectively to obstetric emergencies, reduce racial disparities, and improve maternal health outcomes. Based on data from the current designation cycle, facilities designated under the Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care program demonstrate higher-quality care compared to non-Blue Distinction Center facilities, with overall average rates of 26% lower episiotomies, 60% fewer elective deliveries and 17% lower cesarean births—all of which point to healthier outcomes for patients. “The clinical recognition from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts illustrates our ongoing commitment to providing access to the highest quality healthcare for our residents and visitors to Cape Cod,” said Jennifer Lacasse, Director of Women’s Health Services for Cape Cod Healthcare. "This achievement speaks to the ongoing success of our skilled care teams of board- certified OB/GYNs, 24/7 on-site pediatric hospitalists from Boston Children’s Hospital, certified nurse-midwives, nurse practitioners, childbirth and parenting educators, board-certified lactation consultants, nurses and support staff to coordinate a continuum of care dedicated to delivering an outstanding outcome and experience for Cape Cod families.” The Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care program’s selection criteria was devised to close clinical care gaps and reduce inequities that persist throughout the maternal care spectrum. The selection criteria includes components of BCBSA’s Maternal Health Equity Actions, which dismantle the cultural, operational and structural barriers that created inequities in maternal care. To be designated under this program, each applicant facility was evaluated on a combination of objective data on patient outcomes as well as the practices implemented to reduce racial disparities and improve maternal health outcomes, such as: • Using evidence-based best practices to respond effectively to obstetric emergencies • Offering unconscious bias training • Participating in the regional Perinatal Quality Collaborative • Having doula support available on the maternity care team • Collecting race, ethnicity and language data • Having a program dedicated to quality improvements in maternal care • Running drills and simulations to prepare providers are prepared to deal with a range of obstetric emergencies • Demonstrating health outcomes that exceed the selection criteria from our program’s previous evaluation cycle Cape Cod Hospital is proud to be recognized by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts for meeting the rigorous quality selection criteria for maternity care set by the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality specialty care at lower costs in the areas of bariatric surgery, cancer care, cardiac care, cellular immunotherapy, fertility care, gene therapy, knee and hip replacement, maternity care, spine surgery, substance use treatment and recovery, and transplants, while encouraging health care professionals to improve the care they deliver. For more information about the program and for a complete listing of the designated providers, visit http://www.bcbs.com/. About Cape Cod Healthcare Cape Cod Healthcare is the leading provider of healthcare services for residents and visitors of Cape Cod. With more than 550 physicians, nearly 5,000 employees and 500 volunteers, Cape Cod Healthcare is comprised of two acute care hospitals, the Cape’s leading provider of homecare and hospice services (VNA), six urgent care centers, a primary and specialty care network, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility, an assisted living facility, and numerous health services and programs. For more information, visit the Cape Cod Healthcare website at www.capecodhealth.org. For the latest in relevant and credible healthcare news, visit www.capecodhealthnews.com. About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (www.bluecrossma.org) is a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston. We are committed to the relentless pursuit of quality, affordable and equitable health care with an unparalleled consumer experience. Consistent with our promise to always put our members first, we are rated among the nation's best health plans for member satisfaction and quality. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. About the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 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 IndexSM. For more information on BCBSA and its member companies, please visit www.bcbs.com. 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.