The hospital’s center meets all criteria as a MBSAQIP-Accredited Center, according to national quality standards established to deliver safe, high quality metabolic and bariatric patient care
Karleena Tuggle, MD, FACS, Medical Director of The Center for Bariatrics & Healthy Weight at Southern Regional, announced today that the center has received accreditation 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).
This accreditation is a formal acknowledgement of the center’s commitment to providing and supporting quality improvement and patient safety efforts for weight loss surgery patients. 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.
“At our Center for Bariatrics and Healthy Weight, we work collaboratively with each patient to guide them to achieve success on their journey to a healthy lifestyle,” says Karleena Tuggle, MD, FACS. “This accreditation and national recognition for excellence in bariatric surgery is a testament to the success of our program and the dedication of our entire team across our organization to deliver multidisciplinary, high-quality, patient-centered care for every patient, every time.”
The Center for Bariatrics & Healthy Weight at Southern Regional’s commitment to quality care begins with expertly trained staff and the dedicated leadership of Dr. Tuggle, an experienced bariatric surgeon. 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.
To earn MBSAQIP Accreditation, The Center for Bariatrics & Healthy Weight at Southern Regional 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.
“Earning this accreditation for excellence in bariatric surgery is another example of Southern Regional’s commitment to offering the highest-quality care to the residents of the southern crescent communities of Atlanta and beyond,” says Charlotte W. Dupré, President and CEO of Southern Regional Medical Center. “I could not be prouder of all that Dr. Tuggle and our bariatric team have accomplished to reach this milestone.”
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 CDC estimates that in the U.S. 35.5% of adults are affected by obesity and another 32.5% are overweight which increases their risks of morbidity and mortality because of the diseases and conditions associated with it, like Type II diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Metabolic and bariatric surgery has proven to be effective in the reduction of comorbid conditions related to obesity. Together, ACS and ASMBS developed accreditation standards for metabolic and bariatric surgery to assist patients with obesity in identifying centers that provide optimal patient care.