Big news for patients seeking surgical treatment for severe obesity and its related conditions. Palmetto General Hospital’s Bariatric Surgical Center has once again achieved the designation of being a Comprehensive Center under the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), a joint program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).
This recognition confirms that patients with conditions related to obesity have a high-quality choice for receiving treatment at a nationally accredited program that meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality of care in the greater South Florida area.
To earn the MBSAQIP designation, Palmetto General Hospital 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 2014, published by the ACS and ASMBS.
Commitment to Excellence
“With more than 3,300 bariatric procedures completed in our program, we are so proud to be recertified as a Center of Excellence at Palmetto General Hospital, as we have been for over 11 years,” said Dr. Jorge L. Sosa, Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Director of the Bariatric Program at Palmetto General Hospital. “This recertification affirms our commitment to excellent outcomes and the health and wellness of our community.”
The MBSAQIP Standards, outlined in the Resources for Optimal Care of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Patient 2014 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.
Palmetto General Hospital’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.
“I would like to congratulate our entire weight loss surgery team, including our medical director, Dr. Jorge Sosa,” said Ana Mederos, CEO of Palmetto General Hospital. “While we are so pleased to have a nationally recognized program, this service lines up so well with our mission as it is truly changing people’s lives for the better.”
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. Centers are awarded a specific designation depending on how many patients it serves annually, the type of procedures it provides, and whether it provides care for patients under age 18.
Obesity on the Rise
In the U.S., 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 co-morbid 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.
Palmetto General Hospital is a 360-bed acute-care hospital located at 2001 West 68th Street in Hialeah, part of Tenet Healthcare. The hospital has served the medical and healthcare needs of Northwest Miami-Dade and Southwest Broward counties for over 40 years. To learn more about Palmetto General Hospital, visit palmettogeneral.com or call 305-823-5000.
