Carle Health Methodist Hospital in Peoria has earned accreditation for its bariatric surgery center.
Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) designate the recognition, a joint venture of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
Meanwhile, Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, which first met the requirements in 2014, received its fourth designation this year. Accredited bariatric surgery centers must apply for reaccreditation every three years.
“A great deal of work has gone into getting this designation,” Amy Hill, MBA, RN, Carle Health Methodist director of Surgical Services, said. “I am extremely proud to be a bariatric center of excellence. It was a multidisciplinary approach to get to a place where we are providing the best possible care to the bariatric patient.”
MBSAQIP accredits inpatient and outpatient bariatric surgery centers in the United States and Canada that undergo an independent, voluntary and rigorous peer evaluation in accordance with nationally recognized surgical standards. The accreditation promotes uniform standard benchmarks and continuous quality improvement.
“The accreditation is a program put into place to help ensure quality care for weight loss surgery patients,” Blair Rowitz, MD, associate chief medical officer for Surgical Services, Specialty Institutes, Research and Graduate Medical Education for the Carle Health Champaign-Urbana service area, said.
Achieving accreditation means that centers take a multidisciplinary approach to supporting patients, including nutrition and psychology, while providing access to other specialties that are important to the care of patients with obesity. Accreditation means that surgeons have appropriate credentialing and training, that patients have good outcomes, that centers have a quality improvement program, that centers have the right equipment and that staff have completed sensitivity training.
“We submit all the data and information and that culminates in a site visit,” Dr. Rowitz said. The process repeats itself when a center applies for reaccreditation.
Carle Health Methodist administration and staff, in partnership with Springfield Clinic administration and bariatric doctors, have been working on accreditation for several years, Hill said. Springfield Clinic bariatric surgeons Jacob Hopping, MD, FACS, FASMBS, and Jayaraj Salimath, DO, FACOS, FASMBS, perform the surgeries at Carle Health Methodist.
For many years, patients at Carle Health Methodist could receive bariatric surgery. The accreditation designates the hospital as a center of excellence, Hill said.
“This process helps patients identify where they can get safe and quality surgical care,” Hill said. “The program is tough and comprehensive. It is also recognized by top government and private insurance when making insurance coverage decisions.”
“For people who meet the criteria, it’s covered by health insurers, including Health Alliance, as well as Medicare and Medicaid,” Dr. Rowitz said. “Patients who recognize the accreditation know they are coming to a program that is comprehensive and high quality. It assures them we have all the resources to give the highest quality of care.”
“This is more than just a bariatric team effort,” Dr. Rowitz said of the Carle Foundation Hospital (CFH) reaccreditation. “It’s a Carle Foundation Hospital effort. These four accreditations represent a significant commitment from team members throughout the hospital system and hospital leadership.”
Patients from the Carle Health Bloomington-Normal service area, who seek care at Carle BroMenn Medical Center in Normal and Carle Eureka Hospital in Eureka, may have pre- and post-surgery appointments at Carle BroMenn Outpatient Center (CBOC) in Bloomington. Area patients can schedule their surgery at Carle Foundation Hospital.
“The surgeons from Carle Foundation Hospital see patients at CBOC, in conjunction with a BroMenn-based nurse practitioner and dietitian,” Dr. Rowitz said.
Patients from the Carle Health Olney service area, who seek care at Carle Richland Memorial Hospital, may talk with their local healthcare provider about a referral to Carle Health Bariatric Surgery services in other parts of the system.
Carle Health Bariatric Surgery services include laparoscopic options for surgical weight loss, such as gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy. Nutrition counseling and post-surgical support help patients maintain weight loss and feel confident about transforming their life.
Research supports the benefits of weight-loss surgery for people who meet the following criteria:
Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) designate the recognition, a joint venture of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
Meanwhile, Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, which first met the requirements in 2014, received its fourth designation this year. Accredited bariatric surgery centers must apply for reaccreditation every three years.
“A great deal of work has gone into getting this designation,” Amy Hill, MBA, RN, Carle Health Methodist director of Surgical Services, said. “I am extremely proud to be a bariatric center of excellence. It was a multidisciplinary approach to get to a place where we are providing the best possible care to the bariatric patient.”
MBSAQIP accredits inpatient and outpatient bariatric surgery centers in the United States and Canada that undergo an independent, voluntary and rigorous peer evaluation in accordance with nationally recognized surgical standards. The accreditation promotes uniform standard benchmarks and continuous quality improvement.
“The accreditation is a program put into place to help ensure quality care for weight loss surgery patients,” Blair Rowitz, MD, associate chief medical officer for Surgical Services, Specialty Institutes, Research and Graduate Medical Education for the Carle Health Champaign-Urbana service area, said.
Achieving accreditation means that centers take a multidisciplinary approach to supporting patients, including nutrition and psychology, while providing access to other specialties that are important to the care of patients with obesity. Accreditation means that surgeons have appropriate credentialing and training, that patients have good outcomes, that centers have a quality improvement program, that centers have the right equipment and that staff have completed sensitivity training.
“We submit all the data and information and that culminates in a site visit,” Dr. Rowitz said. The process repeats itself when a center applies for reaccreditation.
Carle Health Methodist administration and staff, in partnership with Springfield Clinic administration and bariatric doctors, have been working on accreditation for several years, Hill said. Springfield Clinic bariatric surgeons Jacob Hopping, MD, FACS, FASMBS, and Jayaraj Salimath, DO, FACOS, FASMBS, perform the surgeries at Carle Health Methodist.
For many years, patients at Carle Health Methodist could receive bariatric surgery. The accreditation designates the hospital as a center of excellence, Hill said.
“This process helps patients identify where they can get safe and quality surgical care,” Hill said. “The program is tough and comprehensive. It is also recognized by top government and private insurance when making insurance coverage decisions.”
“For people who meet the criteria, it’s covered by health insurers, including Health Alliance, as well as Medicare and Medicaid,” Dr. Rowitz said. “Patients who recognize the accreditation know they are coming to a program that is comprehensive and high quality. It assures them we have all the resources to give the highest quality of care.”
“This is more than just a bariatric team effort,” Dr. Rowitz said of the Carle Foundation Hospital (CFH) reaccreditation. “It’s a Carle Foundation Hospital effort. These four accreditations represent a significant commitment from team members throughout the hospital system and hospital leadership.”
Patients from the Carle Health Bloomington-Normal service area, who seek care at Carle BroMenn Medical Center in Normal and Carle Eureka Hospital in Eureka, may have pre- and post-surgery appointments at Carle BroMenn Outpatient Center (CBOC) in Bloomington. Area patients can schedule their surgery at Carle Foundation Hospital.
“The surgeons from Carle Foundation Hospital see patients at CBOC, in conjunction with a BroMenn-based nurse practitioner and dietitian,” Dr. Rowitz said.
Patients from the Carle Health Olney service area, who seek care at Carle Richland Memorial Hospital, may talk with their local healthcare provider about a referral to Carle Health Bariatric Surgery services in other parts of the system.
Carle Health Bariatric Surgery services include laparoscopic options for surgical weight loss, such as gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy. Nutrition counseling and post-surgical support help patients maintain weight loss and feel confident about transforming their life.
Research supports the benefits of weight-loss surgery for people who meet the following criteria:
- Have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more.
- Have a BMI of 35 to 39, with a morbid-obesity diagnosis and related health conditions, including Type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis and other obesity-related conditions.
- Are unable to achieve a healthy body weight for a sustained period of time, even with medically supervised dieting.
- Are 18 or older.
- Are willing to make lifestyle and eating habit changes.
- Show commitment to behavior modification, support groups and long-term follow up.
Categories: Culture of Quality
Tags: accreditation, awards, bariatric, Carle, Methodist, obesity, surgery