Blue Cross Blue Shield Association has designated NewYork-Presbyterian as a "Blue Distinction Center" for Spine Surgery — the only New York City hospital selected for that designation. To be named a Blue Distinction Center, a facility must deliver high-quality, safe spine surgery, performed by skilled surgeons, and producing better outcomes.
“We are proud to carry this designation,” says Dr. Roger Härtl, chief of spine surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medicine and director of the Weill Cornell Medicine Center for Comprehensive Spine Care. “It is gratifying to be recognized for the surgical skills of our faculty and the excellent care provided at NewYork-Presbyterian.”
Eric Elowitz, vice chairman for quality and patient safety at Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, agrees. “We emphasize minimal-access spine surgery wherever possible,” he notes, “and we take pride in our record of excellent patient outcomes.”
For Dr. Philip Stieg, Neurosurgeon-in-Chief of NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medicine and chair of Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, the distinction is not surprising. “Over the past decade we have worked diligently to establish a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary model of care for spine patients,” he says. “Our overall approach, our safety record, and our outcomes are all world class, and it’s no wonder at all that we are the only spine surgery center in New York to receive this designation.”