WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has been designated a UnitedHealth Premium cardiac specialty center, reflecting national recognition of the cardiac care it provides.
The UnitedHealth Premium cardiac specialty centers program identifies hospitals nationwide that are leaders in providing cardiac care. Select medical centers in the UnitedHealthcare network are invited to apply for designation.
“We are pleased to receive this recognition of our Heart Center,” said William C. Little, M.D., head of the cardiology section at Wake Forest Baptist.
Through the program, UnitedHealthcare enrollees are provided with detailed information regarding specialized training, practice capabilities and proficiencies at leading cardiac facilities so that they can make informed decisions if they need to seek cardiac care.
“All hospitals are not the same. Where you go makes a difference in the type and quality of care you receive,” said Lewis Sandy, M.D., chief medical officer for UnitedHealthcare. “Patients who require cardiac care need to know that they are getting the best treatment.”
Medical centers that receive this designation meet UnitedHealthcare’s extensive evidenced-based quality criteria based on guidelines set by the American College of Cardiology, the Society for Thoracic Surgeons, the North American Society for Pacing and Electrophysiology and the Leapfrog Group, a coalition of more than 150 public and private organizations that provide health care benefits.
The designation is active through June 30, 2007.
UnitedHealthcare, along with its sister company Uniprise Solutions, serves more than 18 million individual customers nationwide and in four international markets.
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Media Contacts: Jim Steele, jsteele@wfubmc.edu or Karen Richardson, krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu, at (336) 716-4587.
About Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center: Wake Forest Baptist is an academic health system comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Wake Forest University Health Sciences, which operates the university’s School of Medicine. The system comprises 1,187 acute care, psychiatric, rehabilitation and long-term care beds and is consistently ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report.