Monroe, Ga. (Sept. 17, 2019) – Piedmont Walton Hospital’s Metabolic and Bariatric Center, which provides diabetes education and surgical and non-surgical weight management opportunities close to home for people in the Walton County region, recently achieved national accreditation from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, a joint program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).
“We are proud to receive this national accreditation, designating us as an accredited, low acuity center,” said Kenna Glick, bariatric program coordinator and outpatient dietitian for Piedmont Walton’s Metabolic and Bariatric Center. “People in our community who are seeking surgical treatment for severe obesity and its related conditions have a high-quality choice for receiving treatment at our nationally accredited program that meets the highest standards for patient safety and high-quality care in our area.”
The Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program’s standards ensure that bariatric surgical patients receive a multidisciplinary program, not just a surgical procedure, which improves patient outcomes and long-term success, and that the accredited center offers preoperative and postoperative care designed specifically for their severely obese patients.
To earn the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program designation, Piedmont Walton met essential criteria for staffing, training and facility infrastructure and protocols for care, ensuring its ability to support patients with severe obesity.
“Piedmont Walton’s commitment to providing high-quality, patient-centered care begins with our trained staff and providers, who participate in meetings throughout the year to look for ways to continuously improve and enhance the structure, process and outcomes of our hospital’s Metabolic and Bariatric Center,” said Candice Frix, chief nursing officer (CNO) at Piedmont Walton. “I’m very proud of our dedicated team for achieving this major milestone.”
The center also participates in a national data registry that yields semiannual reports on the quality of its processes and outcomes, identifying opportunities for continuous quality improvement.
To achieve accreditation, Piedmont Walton’s center underwent an extensive site visit by an experienced bariatric surgeon, who reviews the structure, process, and clinical outcomes data.
Centers are awarded a specific designation depending on how many patients it serves annually and the type of procedures it provides.
Piedmont Walton received low acuity designation through the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program and is the only hospital in Piedmont’s east clinical hub, which includes Piedmont Athens Regional, Piedmont Rockdale and Piedmont Newton hospitals, to offer this surgical treatment to its patients.
In the United States, around 15.5 million people suffer from severe obesity, according to the National Institutes of Health, and the numbers continue to increase. 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, and cardiovascular disease, among other health risks.
Metabolic and bariatric surgical procedures have proven to be effective in the reduction of comorbid conditions related to severe obesity.