Low Back Pain "Centers of Excellence"

Blue Cross Network (BCN) has designated two St. John Health (SJH) hospitals – St. John Hospital and Medical Center (SJH&MC) and St. John River District Hospital (SJRDH) – as Centers of Excellence for low back pain treatment.

The designation is a new BCN initiative that aims to improve access to high-quality, low back pain care by identifying facilities with the most comprehensive treatment services. Having the BCN designation indicates that both SJH&MC and SJRDH have had better outcomes and fewer complications for treating low back pain than their competitors in southeast Michigan.

The designation also means the two hospitals have met BCN’s rigorous quality criteria, including:

• education
• comprehensive treatment offered
• supervision
• clinical backgrounds of staff
• structure of facility

"With the myriad treatment facilities available in the area, being a Center of Excellence signals to patients that St. John Hospital and St. John River District Hospital provide the most comprehensive treatment available, and that patients will receive excellent care and the best possible outcomes," says Roger Anderson, Administrative Director, SJH&MC Rehabilitation Services.

According to the National Institutes of Health, low back pain is the No. 2 reason Americans go to the doctor – second only to colds and flu. It’s estimated about 80 percent of Americans will have back pain at some point in their lifetime.