Patients seeking surgical treatment for obesity and its related conditions have a high-quality choice for receiving care at a nationally accredited program that meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality in Shreveport-Bossier.
CHRISTUS Highland Bariatric Surgery Center has been accredited as a Comprehensive Center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP®), a joint Quality Program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).
The MBSAQIP Standards, Optimal Resources for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, ensure that metabolic and bariatric patients receive multidisciplinary medical care, which improves patient outcomes and long-term success. MBSAQIP-Accredited centers offer preoperative and postoperative care designed specifically for patients with obesity.
“The CHRISTUS team is dedicated to helping patients live happier, longer and healthier lives by offering resolution through the most advanced weight loss surgery options available,” said Dr. George Merriman, Medical Director, CHRISTUS Highland Bariatric Surgery Center. “This accreditation highlights our commitment in providing personalized and compassionate care from the start of a patient’s journey.”
CHRISTUS Highland Bariatric Surgery Center and its commitment to quality care begins with expertly trained staff and the leadership of experienced bariatric surgeons. The program is tasked with continuous review of surgical data as they continue improving the structure and outcomes expertise necessary to provide safe, efficacious, and high-quality care to all metabolic and bariatric patients.
“Obesity increases risks of morbidity and mortality because of the diseases and conditions commonly associated with it; such as type II diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. James Barnes, Chief of Staff, CHRISTUS Highland Medical Center. Bariatric surgery continues to be an effective form of treatment for drastically improving these conditions in our patients. I delight in helping patients achieve effective weight loss goals, short and long term.”
To earn MBSAQIP Accreditation, CHRISTUS Highland Bariatric Surgery Center met essential criteria for staffing, training, facility infrastructure and patient care pathways, ensuring its ability to support patients with obesity. The center also participates in a national data registry that yields semiannual reports on the quality of its surgical outcomes and identifying opportunities for quality improvement. The MBSAQIP Standards, Optimal Resources for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, are published by the ACS and the ASMBS.
“This team has delivered, yet again, meeting all criteria as a MBSAQIP-Accredited Comprehensive Bariatric Surgery Center,” said Dr. Steen Trawick, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer, CHRISTUS Shreveport-Bossier Health System. “We continue to deliver high quality, advanced care and excellent outcomes for our patients.”
After applying for MBSAQIP Accreditation, centers undergo an extensive site visit by an experienced bariatric surgeon who reviews the center’s structure, processes, and clinical outcomes data. Centers that earn accreditation are awarded a specific designation level, depending on how many patients it serves annually, critical care capabilities, the types of procedures provided, and whether it provides care to patients under the age of 18.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates about 93 million adults in the United States are affected by obesity and that number continues to increase. The disease of 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, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, among other health risks. Metabolic and bariatric surgery has proven to be effective in the reduction of comorbid conditions related to obesity. Working together, the ACS and the ASMBS have developed accreditation standards for metabolic and bariatric surgery to assist patients with obesity in identifying centers that provide optimal patient care.
