Delray Beach, Fla. (April 18, 2016) –Delray Medical Center achieves recognition from Florida Blue as a Blue Distinction® Center for Cardiac Care, part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated health care facilities shown to deliver improved patient safety and better health outcomes based on objective measures that were developed with input from the medical community.

To receive a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care designation, a hospital must demonstrate its expertise in delivering safe and effective cardiac treatment. Delray Medical Center received Blue Distinction designation for cardiac valve surgery, coronary artery bypass graft and percutaneous coronary intervention. A hospital must also have earned national accreditation at the facility level. 

“We are proud to have earned this national distinction due to the efforts of our dedicated team of cardiac and vascular specialists,” said Mark Bryan, hospital CEO. “As a Blue Distinction Center+ for Cardiac Care, we continuously improve and invest in advanced technologies that allow us to provide the latest in treatment options for even the most challenging cases.”

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., claiming more than 610,000 lives—1 in 4—each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. By 2030, 40.5 percent of the U.S. population is projected to have some form of cardiovascular disease, and the cost of cardiac care is expected to reach $818 billion—an increase of almost 300 percent from 2010, according to the American Heart Association. The Blue Distinction Specialty Care program seeks to reduce this burden by empowering patients with the knowledge and tools to find quality cardiac care.

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, maternity care, spine surgery and transplants, while encouraging healthcare professionals to improve the care they deliver. Research shows that facilities designated as Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients compared with their peers. 

For more information on Delray Medical Center’s heart & vascular services, please visit www.delraymedicalctr.com/our-services/heart-vascular.