Centers of Excellence – are they everything they’re cracked up to be?

Today in healthcare, every specialty has a Center of Excellence designation of one kind or another. But what makes one center excellent and another not? Basically, it comes down to being able to prove that you treat a lot of patients with a specific condition, you have a “clinical pathway” or means for moving a patient efficiently through the treatment process and you are able to document that your patients achieve favorable outcomes. A Center of Excellence can prove that they are capable of treating their patients a standard above whattheir competitor centers or clinics may advertise and have undergone an intense evaluation by an outside regulatory society or insurance company to receive the designation.

Another characteristic of a Center of Excellence is their multidisciplinary team concepts, which is a fancy way of saying that many medical specialties work together as one. create a treatment plan that isn’t a “one-size fits all” approach, but tailored to each patient’s unique medical situation. When choosing a medical specialty center for either you or a loved one, always ask if they are a Center of

Excellence. You deserve the best for your medical care!