Manatee Memorial Hospital’s Surgical Weight Loss Program Receives National Accreditation
Stelios Rekkas, MD, FACS, Medical Director, Manatee Memorial Hospital’s Surgical Weight Loss Program, is pleased to announce the hospital’s program has been accredited as a comprehensive center by 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).
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.
"Manatee Memorial Hospital’s commitment to quality care begins with appropriately trained staff and surgeons who participate in meetings throughout the year to review its outcomes," said Kevin DiLallo, CEO, Manatee Memorial Hospital. "We seek continuous improvement to enhance the structure, process and outcomes of our program and we are proud to be the only hospital in the Bradenton/Sarasota area to receive this accreditation."
Dr. Rekkas stated, “Patients seeking surgical treatment for severe obesity and its related conditions 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.”
To earn the MBSAQIP designation, Manatee Memorial Hospital met essential criteria for staffing, training and facility infrastructure and protocols for care, ensuring its ability to support patients with severe obesity. The program 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. Manatee Memorial Hospital underwent 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 is a significant risk factor for increased 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.
Learn more about Manatee Memorial Hospital's surgical weight loss program >
*Buchwald H, Avidor Y, Braunwald E, et al. Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA. 2004;292(14):1724-1737. DOI:10.1001/jama.292.14.1724.