CHI Memorial’s Weight Management Center has been designated an Optum Bariatric Center of Excellence for meeting clinical qualification and maintaining a cost effective contract for participation in the network. The Center has received this COE designation every year since 2012.
Programs designated as an Optum Bariatric COE perform more successful bariatric procedures than other facilities. The Optum COEs also have fewer complications and readmissions. COE programs are reviewed each year for recertification.
“By choosing our Center of Excellence, patients know they will receive excellent care and support to help them achieve long-term success,” said Jaime Ponce, MD, medical director of CHI Memorial’s Weight Management Center. “We offer our patients a high level of support, with appropriate equipment, dedicated staff, expertise and added quality control initiatives that allows excellent care before and after bariatric surgery.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, surgery helps improve or resolve many types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and sleep apnea in morbidly obese individuals.
To learn more about CHI Memorial’s Weight Management Center, visit memorial.org/weight, or call 423-495-2245.
For information about free online educational seminars on surgical weight loss options, visit at ChattanoogaBariatrics.com, or call 423-899-1000. These educational seminars are designed to help you better understand bariatric surgery options, and how it may benefit your health. Topics include: who is a good candidate for the procedure, what to expect during the recovery period, and lifestyle changes needed to foster a successful outcome.