Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Recognizes Facilities for Higher-Quality Bariatric Surgery Through Blue Distinction Specialty Care Program

08/03/2026

Topeka, Kansas – Four Kansas hospitals have been designated as Blue Distinction® Centers (BDC) or Blue Distinction Centers+ (BDC+) for Bariatric Surgery by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS) as part of the Blue Distinction® Specialty Care program.

Blue Distinction Center Specialty Care programs identify hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) that demonstrate expertise in patient safety, deliver better health outcomes and are more cost-effective. For bariatric surgery, quality assessments are based on objective measures developed from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s (BCBSA) partnership with the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP).

“Recognition as a Blue Distinction Center reflects a facility’s commitment to delivering high-quality care to our members and Kansans statewide,” said Matt All, president/CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas. “We value our provider partners’ dedication to ensuring patients receive the care they deserve.”

BCBSKS is proud to recognize the following BDC and BDC+ facilities:

BDC Facilities

BDC facilities deliver quality care safely and effectively. They include:

Stormont Vail Health, Topeka
University of Kansas Health System – St. Francis Campus, Topeka
Wesley Medical Center, Wichita

BDC+ Facilities

BDC+ facilities deliver quality care safely and effectively while also achieving cost efficiency. They include:

Ascension Via Christi Hospitals, Wichita

All facilities designated under the Blue Distinction Centers for Bariatric Surgery program have proven that they deliver higher-quality care under MBSAQIP’s objective standards for bariatric procedures. On average, designated facilities have 37% fewer total (overall) and 49% fewer severe (life-threatening) complications for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, and 14% fewer total and 20% fewer severe complications for gastric bypass compared to non-MBSAQIP-accredited facilities.

Patients treated at BDC and BDC+ designated facilities benefit from the specialized expertise and advanced practices that lead to improved recovery times and reduced complications, enhancing their overall health journey.

Since 2005, the Blue Distinction® Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality specialty care, and for those that meet the program’s cost criteria, at lower costs, in the areas of bariatric surgery, cancer care, cardiac care, cellular immunotherapy, fertility care, knee and hip replacement, maternity care, spine surgery, substance use treatment and recovery, and transplants, while encouraging health care professionals to improve the quality of care they deliver. For more information about the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program and a complete listing of designated providers, visit Blue Distinction® Specialty Care program.

All companies and trademarks listed are the property of their respective owners and used for identification purposes only, and are in no way associated or affiliated with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Use of these trademarks does not imply endorsement. The Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® names and symbols and Blue Distinction® are registered trademarks of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas

For more than 80 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas has built a reputation of trust with its members and contracting providers by providing outstanding customer service while quickly and accurately processing claims; fairly administering benefit plans and contracts; offering programs, services and tools to help members improve or maintain their health; and operating under the highest ethical standards while being good stewards of premium dollars. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and is the state’s largest insurer, serving all Kansas counties except Johnson and Wyandotte. For more information, visit Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a national federation of independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide health care coverage for one in three Americans.

About Blue Distinction Centers

Blue Distinction Centers (BDC) met overall quality measures, developed with input from the medical community. A Local Blue Plan may require additional criteria for providers located in its own service area; for details, contact your Local Blue Plan. Blue Distinction Centers+ (BDC+) also met cost measures that address consumers’ need for affordable health care. Each provider’s cost of care is evaluated using data from its Local Blue Plan. Providers in CA, ID, NY, PA, and WA may lie in two Local Blue Plans’ areas, resulting in two evaluations for cost of care; and their own Local Blue Plans decide whether one or both cost of care evaluation(s) must meet BDC+ national criteria. National criteria for BDC and BDC+ are displayed on Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Individual outcomes may vary. For details on a provider’s in-network status or your own policy’s coverage, contact your Local Blue Plan and ask your provider before making an appointment. Neither Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association nor any Blue Plans are responsible for noncovered charges or other losses or damages resulting from Blue Distinction or other provider finder information or care received from Blue Distinction or other providers.