Monroe, Ga. (September 20, 2023) – Piedmont Walton Hospital’s Bariatrics Program has been reaccredited 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).
"By receiving this accreditation, patients can be assured that they are receiving excellent metabolic and bariatric care close to home," said Kenna Glick, RDN, LS, CDCES, bariatric program coordinator and outpatient dietitian for Piedmont Walton’s Metabolic and Bariatric Center. "Our program undergoes detailed scrutiny during the survey to make sure our patients are receiving the highest-quality care and have the best outcomes from treatment."
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.
"Piedmont Walton’s program includes a pre-surgery and post-surgery full body composition analysis to help patients attain their ideal health goals," Glick said. "Patients are also invited to participate in the monthly support group meeting. These services are provided at no extra cost, so our patients have the support they need to make healthy choices."
Piedmont Walton’s program has a physical therapy component to a patient’s care both before and after surgery. The program also offers extensive patient education, both in person and virtually, so patients are better equipped to make healthier choices and achieve success.
To earn MBSAQIP accreditation, Piedmont Walton met essential criteria for staffing, training, facility infrastructure, and patient care pathways, ensuring its ability to support patients with obesity. Piedmont Walton also participates in a national data registry that yields semiannual reports on the quality of its surgical outcomes and identifies opportunities for quality improvement. The MBSAQIP Standards, Optimal Resources for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, are published by the ACS and the ASMBS.
"Piedmont Walton’s commitment to quality care begins with collaboration between expertly trained staff and an experienced bariatric surgeon," said Donald Maynard, M.D., FACS, a general surgeon and medical director for Piedmont Walton’s Metabolic and Bariatric Center. "We continuously review surgical data and outcomes to ensure we are consistently providing safe, efficacious, and high-quality care to all metabolic and bariatric patients."
As part of the MBSAQIP accreditation process, 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 they serve annually, their critical care capabilities, the types of procedures they provide, and whether they provide care to patients under the age of 18.
"Our bariatrics team works very closely together to provide each one of our patients with personalized care," Dr. Maynard said. "We evaluate each patient based on their specific needs and how we can best support their long-term goals and increase their quality of life."
For patients interested in bariatric surgery, Piedmont offers free online bariatric seminars that provide information on the surgery options available. Additionally, Piedmont Walton offers a bariatrics support group that meets monthly. For more information on the online seminar or support group, you may reach out to Kenna Glick, Bariatric Surgery Program Coordinator, at Kenna.Glick@piedmont.org.
Learn more information about Piedmont’s bariatrics program.