In an effort to help prospective parents find hospitals that deliver quality affordable maternity care, Manatee Memorial Hospital announced that Florida Blue has designated it as one of the first hospitals to receive the Blue Distinction Center+ for Maternity Care designation, a new designation under the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association's Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. CEO, Manatee Healthcare System, Kevin DiLallo says, "Our family birthplace staff is dedicated to giving quality care to all new moms and our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is ready to help with babies that need extra care." Nearly four million babies are born in the US annually, making childbirth the most common cause of hospitalization. The new Blue Distinction Centers+ for Maternity Care program evaluates hospitals on several quality measures, including the percentage of newborns that fall into the category of early elective delivery, an ongoing concern in the medical community.

Florida Blue Program