Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association designated New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s Bariatric Surgery Program as a Blue Distinction Center+.

Blue Distinction Centers+ for Bariatric Surgery are health care facilities with demonstrated expertise and a commitment to quality care while meeting requirements for cost efficiency,  hospital officials said in a news release.

“This designation acknowledges our commitment to delivering exceptional care to our patients on a daily basis. We are proud to be recognized by Blue Cross and Blue Shield for meeting the rigorous selection criteria,” Kim Joyner, registered nurse and NHRMC bariatric outcomes manager, said in the release.

Surgery designations are awarded for two types of bariatric procedures: gastric stapling and gastric banding. To be considered for designation, a facility must provide a full range of bariatric surgery care, including inpatient care, postoperative care, outpatient follow-up care and patient education.

Evaluation criteria are based on what impacts the patient and patient care the most, including the expertise of the medical team, the number of times NHRMC has performed bariatric procedures and NHRMC’s track record for procedure results.

New Hanover Regional Medical Center treats an average 275 patients through bariatric surgery each year, officials said. In 2014, the program was reaccredited as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society of Metaboloic and Bariatric Surgery and the American College of Surgeons.