Providers of Distinction and Centers of Excellence

Visit a doctor, hospital or provider group with a proven history of excellence for many common procedures…

Who’s it for?

State Employees

Partnership Plan Members

Retirees (Non-Medicare)

The Providers of Distinction program ensures superior care and an exceptional patient experience

The state of Connecticut has identified specific doctors, hospitals, and provider groups that meet the highest patient care standards. These doctors and locations have been designated “Providers of Distinction.” It’s easier than ever to get the care you need by visiting a Provider of Distinction for some of the most common medical conditions and procedures.

ABOUT PROVIDERS OF DISTINCTION

There’s a location near you. Over 180 providers have already been designated as Providers of Distinction spanning the state.

The highest-performing doctors and facilities in the program have been designated Centers of Excellence.

Earn an incentive. By visiting a Provider of Distinction for certain procedures, you will automatically receive a cash incentive. View the complete list of available incentives by procedure. Incentives are higher for Centers of Excellence members.

Care from evaluation through recovery. Providers of Distinction will guide you through each procedure from the initial consult through your complete recovery. Each designated provider has delivered proven high-quality outcomes, meaning you have fewer risks of complications.

Proven quality. Each Provider of Distinction has met strict requirements for quality of care. When you visit a Provider of Distinction, you can feel secure that your provider has low incidents of complications, readmissions and duplicate procedures. To see the various components of quality review, click here.

Care Compass is here to help. If you have any questions about Providers of Distinction, contact a Care Coordinator at 833-740-3258.

INCENTIVES

By visiting a participating Providers of Distinction provider, you will automatically earn a cash incentive. Below, see the full list of available procedures and the corresponding incentive level. After your procedure has been completed, and has gone through the insurance payment process, you will receive an incentive check in the mail to thank you for using a proven high-quality provider in the Providers of Distinction program.

Individuals who earn $600 or more in a calendar year from this program will receive a 1099-MISC tax form.

Service or
Procedure
Providers of Distinction Incentive
Center of Excellence Incentive
BARIATRIC SURGERY$450$900
BREAST BIOPSY$100$150
CABG &/OR VALVE PROCEDURES$750$1,000
CATARACT SURGERY$100$250
COLON RESECTION$750$1,000
COLONOSCOPY$100$200
ESOPHAGOGASTRODUODENOSCOPY UPPER GI (ENDOSCOPY)$100$150
GALL BLADDER SURGERY$250$500
HIP REPLACEMENT$500$1,000
HYSTERECTOMY$700$1,000
KNEE ARTHROSCOPY$150$250
KNEE REPLACEMENT & KNEE REVISION$500$1,000
LUMBAR LAMINECTOMY$600$1,000
LUMBAR SPINE FUSION$750$1,000
MASTECTOMY$200$400
PREGNANCY AND DELIVERY (PRENATAL CARE)$250$500
PACEMAKER / DEFIBRILLATOR$750$1,000
PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION (ANGIOPLASTY)$600$1,000
PROSTATECTOMY$350$750
TONSILLECTOMY$100$150

COMPREHENSIVE SPINE INCENTIVE:

EVALUATION AND PROGRAM ENROLLMENT: $100

MEETING MINIMUM ENGAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS: $200

How it works

By using providers with proven high-quality outcomes, you can avoid costly and dangerous medical complications. Providers of Distinction will provide care through the entire procedural process, from evaluation through recovery. You receive the best quality care AND receive a cash incentive. The state health plan saves on long-term costs by limiting adverse outcomes for common procedures. It’s a true win-win.

  1. Use the Providers of Distinction search tool to find eligible providers near you for your next necessary medical procedure or care (for example, Colonoscopy, Pregnancy, hip replacement, etc.) or contact a Care Coordinator for assistance.
  2. Schedule your appointment with a provider identified as a Provider of Distinction or Center of Excellence.
  3. Cash the check that arrives in your mailbox. A letter will be included with the check explaining the State of Connecticut Provider of Distinction program.

Participating Providers

The doctors, hospitals and provider groups below have all been designated as Providers of Distinction for one or more procedures. Contact a Care Coordinator for more information.

Hospitals

Provider Groups

Bristol Hospital

  • Bristol Home Care and Hospice Agency Inc
  • Bristol Hospital Incorporated

Community Medical Group

  • Abraham Mintz, MD, PC
  • Advanced Cardiovascular Specialists, PC
  • Advanced Radiology Consultants, LLC
  • Arrhythmia Center of Connecticut
  • Bridgeport Radiological Associates, LLC
  • Cardiovascular Physicians & Consultants, LLC
  • Caterina Violi, MD LLC
  • Center for Gastrointestinal Medicine of Fairfield & Westchester, PC
  • Comprehensive Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Care, LLC
  • Connecticut Ear, Nose & Throat Medical and Surgical Specialists, PC
  • Connecticut Gastroenterology Consultants
  • Connecticut Heart Group, PC
  • Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists, PC
  • Connecticut Pediatric Otolaryngology, LLC
  • Diagnostic Imaging of Milford, PC
  • Digestive Disease Associates, LLC
  • Ear, Nose & Throat Medical and Surgical Group, LLC
  • Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists of Connecticut
  • Eye Physicians & Surgeons, PC
  • Gastroenterology Associates of Fairfield County
  • Gastroenterology Center of New England
  • Hammers Healthcare Imaging, LLC
  • HeartCare Associates of Connecticut, LLC
  • Jeffrey D. Small, MD
  • Neil T. Specht, MD, LLC
  • New Haven Neurosurgical Associates
  • Nkem Ikekpeazu, MD
  • OB-GYN Physicians, PC
  • Radiologic Associates of Middletown, PC
  • Richard Levin MD, Lawrence J. Fliegelman MD, LLC
  • Southern New England Ear, Nose, Throat and Facial Plastic Surgery Group, LLP, Howard Boey
  • Southern New England Ear, Nose, Throat and Facial Plastic Surgery Group, LLP, John Willett
  • Southern New England Ear, Nose, Throat and Facial Plastic Surgery Group, LLP, Ken Yanagisawa
  • Southern New England Ear, Nose, Throat and Facial Plastic Surgery Group, LLP, Mark D’Agostino
  • Southern New England Ear, Nose, Throat and Facial Plastic Surgery Group, LLP, Paul Fortgang
  • Southern New England Ear, Nose, Throat and Facial Plastic Surgery Group, LLP, Ronald Hirokawa
  • Stamford Ophthalmology, LLC
  • Stephen Castracane, MD, LLC
  • Strong Women’s Health, LLC
  • Surgical Associates of New Haven, PC
  • Valley Orthopaedic Specialists
  • Westwood Ear, Nose and Throat, PC
  • William G. Cimino, MD, PC
  • Women’s Health Associates, LLC
  • Women’s Health Care of Milford, PC

Connecticut GI

  • Connecticut GI PC

Griffin Hospital

  • The Griffin Hospital

Middlesex Health

  • Middlesex Hospital

Nuvance

  • Danbury Hospital
  • Norwalk Hospital
  • Sharon Hospital Inc

Prospect

  • Prospect ECHN Home Health, Inc.
  • Prospect Manchester Hospital, Inc.
  • Prospect Rockville Hospital, Inc.
  • Prospect Waterbury, Inc. (The Waterbury Hospital )

Trinity Health

  • Advanced OB-GYN Doctors LLC
  • Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center (SFHMC)
  • Arrhythmia Consultants of Connecticut, L.L.C.
  • Ashanti Medical Associates, L.L.C.
  • Associated Ear Nose & Throat Specialists, L.L.C.
  • Asylum Hill Family Medicine Center, Inc.
  • Bruce Chozick, M.D., P.C.
  • Central Connecticut Cardiologists, L.L.C.
  • Collins Medical Associates 2, P.C.
  • Collins Surgical Associates, P.C.
  • Colon & Rectal Surgeons of Greater Hartford
  • Connecticut Eye Center, P.C.
  • Connecticut Gastroenterology Associates, P.C.
  • Connecticut OB-GYN, L.L.C.
  • Cottage Grove Cardiology, P.C.
  • Donald Salzberg, M.D.
  • Farmington Valley Orthopedic Associates, P.C.
  • Franklin Medical Group, PC
  • Greater Hartford Cardiology Group
  • Greater Hartford Orthopedic Group, P.C.
  • Hartford County Cardiology, Inc.
  • Hartford Orthopedic Surgeons, P.C.
  • Howard Lantner, M.D., P.C.
  • Invision Medical Imaging, L.L.C.
  • Joseph Sappington, M.D., P.C.
  • Laureen Forgione-Rubino, M.D., LLC
  • Mercy Inpatient Medical Associates, Inc.
  • Mercy Medical Group, Inc.
  • Mercy Specialist Physicians, Inc.
  • Michael P. Bernstein, M.D., L.L.C.
  • Northern Connecticut Eye Associates, L.L.C.
  • Nutmeg Healthcare Associates, P.C.
  • Orthopaedic Sports Specialists, P.C.
  • Orthopaedics New England, P.C.
  • Paul Murray, M.D., L.L.C.
  • Primary Eye Care Center, P.C.
  • Prime HealthCare, PC
  • Radiology Associates of Hartford, P.C.
  • Riverbend Medical Group, Inc.
  • Stephen F. Calderon, M.D., P.C.
  • Trinity Health Of New England Provider Network Organization, Inc.
  • William R. Maron, M.D., P.C.

UConn Medical Group

  • UConn Medical Group

Women's Health Connecticut

  • Physicians For Women’s Health LLC