You may have seen on our website the words “MBSAQIP Accredited Center” or heard our staff mention that we are “accredited.”  But just what does this mean?  To put it simply, being accredited means two things for you: SAFE and QUALITY care.

Some hospitals that perform bariatric surgery (such as Lexington Medical Center) voluntarily choose to undergo a rigorous review by a national board of examiners (MBSAQIP) to ensure that the facility is providing the highest level of safe and quality care.  When two national groups of surgeons, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) collaborated, they formed MBSAQIP in 2012.  MBSAQIP stands for the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program.  Every three years, MBSAQIP visits our hospital and examines everything we do regarding the care of bariatric patients to ensure that we are providing safe and quality care.  When a facility passes the examination, they are considered an accredited Center.  Lexington Medical Center is accredited as a “Comprehensive Center” through MBSAQIP, which means that we provide quality care for adult patients (18 and older) and are approved to perform a wide range of procedures from bypass and sleeves to revisional surgeries.

Just what’s behind achieving accreditation?  Quite a lot, in fact.  Being accredited means that our Center:

·Performs a high volume of bariatric procedures, ensuring that our surgeons are experienced

·Has staff that are compassionate towards overweight individuals and are trained in their care

·Has equipment such as beds, x-ray devices, and waiting room seats designed for those with higher weights

·Maintains a vital and active patient support group

·Provides evidence-based education to patients about nutrition, the surgical process, and lifestyle modification

·Cares for bariatric surgery patients across the continuum of care, from the operating room to other areas such as the ICU and Emergency Department, if needed

·Regularly reviews data and looks for ways to constantly improve the care that we provide

And that’s just a FEW of the things we do…just for you! 

Questions or concerns?