Patients seeking surgical treatment for obesity and its related conditions have a high-quality choice for care in Southern New Hampshire. Catholic Medical Center’s (CMC) bariatric surgery program—the New England Weight Management Institute (NEWMI)—has again been accredited as a Comprehensive Center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP®).
MBSAQIP is a joint Quality Program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). Accreditation shows that NEWMI meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality.
The MBSAQIP Standards, Optimal Resources for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, ensure that 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. MBSAQIP first accredited NEWMI (previously called the Obesity Treatment Center) in 2009.
“At NEWMI, we have a team of compassionate providers and professionals who recognize that surgery may not be for everyone,” said Dr. Andrew Wu, chief of general and bariatric surgery at CMC. “When surgery is the best option, we approach that treatment as a journey. We offer patients leading-edge procedures and, importantly, we guide and support them through the process and long after they’ve met their goals.”
NEWMI’s commitment to quality care begins with expertly trained-staff and the leadership of experienced bariatric surgeons. The team includes providers who specialize in surgical and medical weight loss as well as nurses and advanced nurse practitioners, exercise physiologists, and nutritionists.
To earn MBSAQIP accreditation, NEWMI 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. This continuous review helps ensure a culture of providing safe, effective, and high-quality care. The MBSAQIP Standards, Optimal Resources for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, are published by the ACS and the ASMBS.
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.
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.
________________________
*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.