ROCK HILL, SC. ― Piedmont Medical Center recently received a Blue Distinction® Center for Cardiac Care designation as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated providers that meet quality standards and have proven to deliver quality care with safe practices that lead to better health outcomes for patients.

In the United States, one person dies every 34 seconds from a cardiovascular disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Blue Distinction Centers for Cardiac Care empower patients with the information they need to choose quality, in-network cardiac care. To receive a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care designation, health care facilities must demonstrate expertise in delivering safe and effective cardiac care for percutaneous coronary interventions, coronary artery bypass graft and aortic valve replacement.

“Piedmont Medical Center is at the forefront of delivering advanced, compassionate care to the community, and this award is a testament to the collective efforts of our staff and physicians to take care to the next level,” said Mark Nosacka, Market CEO of Piedmont Medical Center, which includes Piedmont Medical Center-Rock Hill and Piedmont Medical Center – Fort Mill.

“It is important to our members to have safe, affordable options for their cardiac care,” said BlueCross Chief Medical Officer Nathan Henderson. “We will keep working with health care centers and providers in the state to improve the health of all South Carolinians.”

Nationally, Blue Distinction Centers for Cardiac Care are providing quality care for patients and have lower in-hospital mortality rates and lower bleeding complication rates for angioplasty than non-Blue Distinction Centers. Designated facilities also meet national standards, with patients facing fewer readmissions and mortality rates for coronary artery bypass graft procedures and heart attacks, compared to facilities that do not meet the criteria.

Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality specialty care in the areas of bariatric surgery, cancer care, cardiac care, cellular immunotherapy, fertility care, gene therapy, knee and hip replacements, 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 www.bcbs.com.

About BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
Headquartered in Columbia and operating in South Carolina for more than 75 years, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. The only South Carolina-owned and operated health insurance carrier, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina comprises more than 20 companies involved in health insurance services, U.S. DoD health program and Medicare contracts, other insurance and employee benefits services, and a philanthropic foundation that funds programs to improve health care and access to health care for South Carolinians. It holds an A+ rating from A.M. Best.

About Blue Distinction Centers
Blue Distinction Centers (BDC) met overall quality measures, developed with input from the medical community. A local Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) company may require additional criteria for providers located in its own service area; for details, contact your local BCBS company. 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 BCBS company. Providers in CA, ID, NY, PA, and WA may lie in two local BCBS company’s areas, resulting in two evaluations for cost of care; and their own local BCBS company’s 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 BCBS company and ask your provider before making an appointment. Neither Blue Cross Blue Shield Association nor any BCBS company 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 Piedmont Medical Center
Piedmont Medical Center (PMC) is a 288-bed full-service hospital that serves York County and beyond. In Sept. 2022, PMC opened Piedmont Medical Center – Fort Mill to further serve the community. PMC offers emergency services at its Rock Hill and Fort Mill campuses and through an additional site in Gold Hill. PMC provides imaging services through the Women’s Diagnostic Center at PMC-Rock Hill and locations in Gold Hill, Baxter Village in Fort Mill and York.