Heritage Valley Sewickley meets all criteria as a Comprehensive Center according to national quality standards established to deliver safe, high quality bariatric patient care.
Patients seeking surgical treatment for severe obesity and its related conditions have a high-quality choice for receiving treatment at a nationally accredited program. Heritage Valley Sewickley meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality of care for metabolic and bariatric surgery according to the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP).
Heritage Valley Sewickley, through its partnership with Hope Bariatrics, the surgical program of Geoffrey H. Wilcox, M.D., FACS, and Michael D. Felix, M.D., FACS, announced its bariatric surgical center has been accredited as a Comprehensive Center under the MBSAQIP, a joint program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).
“Heritage Valley Sewickley’s role in providing a state-of-the-art facility for bariatric surgery and post-surgical care is reflected through this accreditation,” said Norm Mitry, president and chief executive officer for Heritage Valley Health System. “The experience and expertise of the bariatric care team including physicians and staff involved in caring for our bariatric patients is evident through the excellent outcomes experienced by bariatric patients.”
To earn the MBSAQIP designation, Heritage Valley Sewickley 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.
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.
For more information about Heritage Valley Sewickley, go to www.heritagevalley.org. For more information or to make an appointment with Hope Bariatrics, call 412.741.8862 or go to hopebariatrics.com.
*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.
About Heritage Valley Health System
Heritage Valley Health System is a $480 million integrated delivery network providing comprehensive health care for residents of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties, in Pennsylvania; eastern Ohio; and the panhandle of West Virginia. In partnership with 3,700 employees and more than 480 physicians, Heritage Valley offers a broad range of medical, surgical and diagnostic services at its two hospitals, Heritage Valley Sewickley and Heritage Valley Beaver; in 60 physician offices; and 18 community satellite facilities. For more information about Heritage Valley Health System, please visit www.heritagevalley.org.
About Hope Bariatrics
Hope Bariatrics provides a wide range of surgical treatment options for weight loss. Geoffrey H. Wilcox, MD, FACS and Michael D. Felix, MD, FACS specialize in advanced laparoscopic procedures and are board certified in general surgery by the American Board of Surgery. Hope Bariatrics is accredited by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program. For more information go to www.hopebariatrics.com.
About the American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational association of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical education and practice and to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient. Its achievements have placed it at the forefront of American surgery and have made the College an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 80,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.
About the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, founded in 1983, was formed to advance the art and science of metabolic and bariatric surgery by continually improving the quality and safety of care and treatment of people with obesity and related diseases through educational and support programs for surgeons and integrated health professionals.