Day Kimball Hospital, part of the Day Kimball Healthcare (DKH) integrated network, has again been designated as a Blue Distinction® Center for Maternity Care by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. This achievement is part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care national designation program recognizing health care facilities that demonstrate expertise in delivering quality patient care safely, effectively and cost-efficiently.

Maternity care centers with the Blue Distinction designation demonstrate expertise and a commitment to quality care for vaginal and cesarean section deliveries, with better overall patient satisfaction and a lower percentage of early elective deliveries. In addition, these facilities meet the requirements that align with principles that support evidence-based practices of care, as well as having initiated programs to promote successful breastfeeding. The designation also evaluates hospitals on overall patient satisfaction and cost efficiency.

In 2016, Day Kimball Hospital was one of the first hospitals nationwide to earn designation from Blue Cross Blue Shield as a Blue Distinction Center for its maternity care program and its expertise in the delivery of safe, efficient, high quality care to women and newborns.

“Day Kimball Hospital is proud to again be recognized by Blue Cross Blue Shield for meeting the rigorous selection criteria for maternity care set forth by this program,” said Kyle Kramer, chief executive officer, Day Kimball Healthcare. “Earning this re-designation is a testament to the commitment on the part of every DKH obstetrics and gynecologic physician, nurse, and staff member, whose collective dedication to providing unparalleled maternity care has helped patients achieve better outcomes.”

The Blue Distinction Specialty Care Program evaluates facilities on quality metrics developed through a process that includes input from the medical community and quality measurement experts; a review of medical literature, along with national quality and safety initiatives; and a thorough analysis of meaningful quality measures from objective, publicly available sources. The goal of the program is to set the healthcare standard for quality, cost and access, while providing a credible foundation for local Blue Plans to design benefits tailored to meet employers’ own quality and cost objectives.

“With over 400 babies born at our Burdick Family Birthing Center each year, our team of doctors, nurses and specialists are committed to providing an exceptional, high quality experience for mothers, babies and families who choose Day Kimball for one of life’s most important events,” said Erica Kesselman, MD, FACOG, OBGYN, Day Kimball Healthcare. “We are pleased to offer our community a family-centered approach to child birth including specialized infant and high risk pregnancy care.”

Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) companies across the nation have recognized more than 524 hospitals as Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care. Hospitals recognized for these designations were assessed using a combination of publicly available quality information and cost measures derived from BCBS companies’ medical claims.

“Day Kimball Hospital’s latest designation as a Blue Distinction Center demonstrates their continued dedication to providing quality care for growing families in Connecticut,” said Dr. Michael Jefferson, MD, Managing Medical Director, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut. “The Blue Distinction program is designed to recognize commitment to quality and to help consumers identify high-performing healthcare providers. Congratulations to the entire Day Kimball Hospital team for earning well-deserved honor once again.”

Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality providers for their specialty care needs in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, knee and hip replacements, spine surgery and transplants. Research shows that, compared to other facilities, those designated as Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients. On average, Blue Distinction Centers are also 20 percent more cost-efficient than non-Blue Distinction Center designated health care facilities.

Day Kimball Hospital has been recognized as a Baby-Friendly hospital since 2016, when it was named one of just six hospitals in Connecticut to hold the designation. The Baby-Friendly Initiative, a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), recognizes facilities that promote breastfeeding and other postnatal practices to give babies the best start in life.

To learn more about the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program, visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction. For more information on Day Kimball Healthcare’s OB/GYN and Maternal Child Health services, visit daykimball.org/patient-services/womens-health/.

About Day Kimball Healthcare

Day Kimball Healthcare is a nonprofit community healthcare system comprised of Day Kimball Hospital, Day Kimball Medical Group, Day Kimball Healthcare At Home, and healthcare centers in Danielson, Dayville, Plainfield, and Putnam. Its service area includes Northeast Connecticut as well as nearby Massachusetts and Rhode Island communities. Day Kimball Healthcare’s comprehensive network offers more than 1,000 staff including nearly 300 associated, highly skilled physicians, surgeons and specialists. Its website is www.daykimball.org.

About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Anthem Health Plans, Inc. Independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Anthem is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut is available at www.anthem.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/anthemBCBS and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AnthemBlueCrossBlueShield.

About Blue Distinction Centers

Blue Distinction Centers (BDC) met overall quality measures for patient safety and outcomes, 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 non-covered charges or other losses or damages resulting from Blue Distinction or other provider finder information or care received from Blue Distinction or other providers. 

About Blue Cross Blue Shield Association

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 36 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 Index^sm. For more information on BCBSA and its member companies, please visit BCBS.com. We also encourage you to connect with us on Facebook, check out our videos on YouTube and follow us on Twitter.

Areas of Related Interest

Patient Services | Women's Health
Women's Health | OB/GYN
Women's Health | Maternal Child Health
Burdick Family Birthing Center at Day Kimball Hospital