UAB Hospital has been recognized as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery by Blue Cross Blue Shield, a designation awarded to health care facilities that demonstrate high-quality care, specialized expertise and improved patient outcomes.

The Blue Distinction Specialty Care program identifies hospitals that meet rigorous, evidence-based quality and safety criteria for spine surgery, including lower readmission rates and fewer reoperations.

Blue Distinction Centers follow a nationally consistent evaluation framework that emphasizes:

• Use of evidence-based, transparent quality measures
• Consistent performance standards across the country
• Metrics that address clinical care gaps affecting longevity, quality of life and overall health care costs
• Criteria that evolve with medical advancements and objective outcomes data

To obtain this recognition, hospitals undergo a comprehensive review based on facility structure, process measures and performance outcomes specific to cervical and lumbar spine surgery. The assessment incorporates data from a provider survey covering the previous 12 months and, when available, performance metrics from the American Spine Registry.

Facilities are evaluated using a scoring model that requires performance at least 10 percent better than comparison groups. Patient-reported outcome measures are reviewed for informational purposes but are not included in scoring.

The Blue Distinction Center designation is designed to help patients and referring providers identify hospitals with a proven record of delivering consistent, high-quality specialty care.