Jaime Ponce, M.D., medical director at CHI Memorial’s Weight Management Center, announces the bariatric surgical center has been accredited as a COMPREHENSIVE Center under the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, a joint program of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. CHI Memorial’s Weight Management Center has been accredited since 2012 when the MBSAQIP program began.
The MBSAQIP Standards, outlined in the Resources for Optimal Care of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Patient 2016 ensure that bariatric surgical patients receive a multidisciplinary program, not just a surgical procedure, which improves patient outcomes and long-term success. The accredited center offers preoperative and postoperative care designed specifically for their severely obese patients.
“Obesity is a disease that affects many people throughout the Chattanooga region,” said Dr. Ponce. “We offer effective surgical and nonsurgical solutions, all in a comprehensive program that will make sure each person loses weight. Our program is designed to provide the physical, emotional and spiritual support needed for weight loss success, and to keep the pounds off, ensuring a better, healthier future.”
"The Weight Management Center’s commitment to quality care begins with appropriately trained staff and the leadership surgeons who participate in meetings throughout the year to review its outcomes. They seek continuous improvement to enhance the structure, process and outcomes of the center," officials said.
To earn the MBSAQIP designation, The Weight Management Center at CHI Memorial met essential criteria for staffing, training and facility infrastructure and protocols for care, ensuring its ability to support patients with severe obesity. The center also participates in a national data registry that yields semiannual reports on the quality of its processes and outcomes, identifying opportunities for continuous quality improvement. The standards are specified in the MBSAQIP Resources for Optimal Care of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Patient 2016, published by the ACS and ASMBS.
“CHI Memorial and the Weight Management Center are committed to providing a comprehensive program for people seeking treatment for obesity and its related medical conditions,” says Helen Kuroki, senior vice president, chief medical officer, CHI Memorial. “This accreditation gives patients confidence that they have access to some of the most effective weight-loss surgery options in the region, as well as a highly trained medical staff who truly cares about helping you lose weight and keep it off.”
After submitting an application, centers seeking MBSAQIP Accreditation undergo an extensive site visit by an experienced bariatric surgeon, who reviews the center's structure, process, and clinical outcomes data.
"In the United States, around 15.5 million people suffer from severe obesity, according to the National Institutes of Health, and the numbers continue to increase. Obesity increases the risks of morbidity and mortality because of the diseases and conditions that are commonly associated with it, such as type II diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, among other health risks. Metabolic and bariatric surgical procedures have proven to be effective in the reduction of comorbid conditions related to severe obesity.* Working with ASMBS, the ACS expanded this quality program for bariatric surgery centers so that it can assist bariatric patients in identifying those centers that provide optimal surgical care," officials said.
For more information about the Weight Management Center at CHI Memorial, call 423-495-2245, or visit www.memorial.org/weight.