Brookwood Medical Center is Named UnitedHealth Premiumsm Cardiac Specialty Center
Birmingham, AL – December 1, 2005 – Brookwood Medical Center announced today that it has been designated a UnitedHealth Premiumsm cardiac specialty center, reflecting national recognition of the cardiac care it provides.
“We have always been proud of the quality care we deliver to our patients,” said Garry L. Gause, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our staff works hard to ensure that patient care is a top priority, and this recognition offers further evidence of the high standard of cardiac care we deliver every day.”
The UnitedHealth Premium designation program for cardiac care identifies hospitals and specialists nationwide that are leaders in providing cardiac care. Hospitals are invited to apply for the designation.
“All hospitals are not the same. Where you go makes a difference in the type and quality of the care you receive,” said Lewis Sandy, M.D., an internist and executive vice president of clinical strategies at UnitedHealthcare. “Patients who require cardiac care need to know that they are getting quality treatment. These centers have been selected from hospitals in our network using criteria built on nationally recognized medical standards and expert independent physician advice.”
The UnitedHealth Premium program evaluates and recognizes specific hospital and physician capabilities. These capabilities include their quality processes, adherence to evidenced-based approaches, compliance with nationally recognized guidelines published by clinical societies and their broad capabilities to handle cardiac illness and its treatment through a continuum of stages. The program also measures hospital efficiency by analyzing the aggregate cost of care at an individual patient level for a complete treatment episode.
The UnitedHealth Premium program will conduct an annual review of Brookwood’s performance against independently created criteria.
“We look forward to continually demonstrating our commitment to quality patient care,” said Gause.
Brookwood Medical Center, part of Tenet Alabama, is a 586-bed medical center located at 2010 Brookwood Medical Center Drive in Birmingham, Ala. The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of the Birmingham area for over 30 years. Brookwood Medical Center specializes in such major areas as women’s services, cardiovascular medicine and surgery, cancer, orthopedics, neurology and neurosurgery, psychiatric services, emergency services and more. Other affiliated services and facilities include the Brookwood Diagnostic Center, Women’s Diagnostic Center, MedPlex Diagnostic Center and the Medplex Surgery Center. Brookwood Medical Center is accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. To learn more about Brookwood Medical Center, visit www.bwmc.com.