ATLANTA – Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital’s bariatric surgery center has achieved accreditation by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) as a comprehensive bariatric center.
A MBSAQIP accreditation acknowledges a center's commitment to providing and supporting quality improvement and patient safety efforts for metabolic and bariatric surgery patients. It also signals the efforts made to provide multidisciplinary, high-quality and patient-centered care. Bariatric centers must apply for reaccreditation every three years.
"We are proud to have completed the rigorous accreditation process of officially becoming a MBSAQIP comprehensive center," says Jamil L. Stetler, MD, medical director of the bariatric program at the hospital and assistant professor of surgery at Emory University School of Medicine. "This accreditation means that we meet and exceed all national standards for bariatric surgery centers, provide the highest quality care, and bring best practices to our patients through constant internal review of our program, continuous quality improvement initiatives and meeting national outcomes benchmarks."
Since 2016, the team of six surgeons at the hospital have performed 423 procedures, primarily sleeve gastrectomy, the roux-en-y gastric bypass and revisional procedures. The team of surgeons combined has completed nearly 2,000 procedures in their careers.
To earn MBSAQIP Accreditation, hospitals must meet essential criteria for staffing, training, facility infrastructure and patient care pathways, ensuring the ability to support patients with obesity. The centers must also participate in a national data registry that yields semiannual reports on the quality of surgical outcomes and identifies opportunities for quality improvement.
"This new MBSAQIP accreditation demonstrates our commitment to patient quality and excellent outcomes for our bariatric patients," says Julie Swann, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital.
After applying for MBSAQIP Accreditation, Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital went through an extensive site visit by an experienced bariatric surgeon who reviewed the centers' structure, processes and clinical outcomes data.
Emory Saint Joseph's is the fourth MBSAQIP accredited hospital in the Emory Healthcare system, along with Emory University Hospital Midtown, Emory John’s Creek Hospital and Emory Decatur Hospital.