Greenville, N.C. – ECU Health Medical Center received accreditation under 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). MBSAQIP is a comprehensive, nationwide surgical quality program aimed at ensuring the safe and effective performance of metabolic and bariatric surgery.
“We are honored for the recognition our team members received for their dedication in earning re-accreditation for metabolic and bariatric surgery at ECU Health Medical Center,” said Jay Briley, president, ECU Health Medical Center. “As a leading regional academic medical center, we are committed to excellence in every aspect of our care. This Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program accreditation reaffirms our ability to consistently provide safe, high-quality care. Most importantly, it ensures that patients in our region can access advanced, cutting-edge treatments close to home.”
Surgical outcomes focus on weight loss and the treatment of obesity-related diseases, like diabetes, sleep apnea, and others. Research shows accredited centers experience fewer complications, and better outcomes for patients. ECU Health Medical Center has five board certified minimally invasive bariatric surgeons on staff.
“Eastern North Carolina faces high rates of health conditions like heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, and weight loss can significantly reduce impact of these and other related health conditions,” said Dr. Eric J. DeMaria, chair of the Department of Surgery for the Brody School of Medicine at ECU, chief of surgery for ECU Health and director of the metabolic and bariatric surgery program at ECU Health. “This accreditation is a testament to the tireless efforts of our care teams, who are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of those we serve every day. It also underscores our commitment to providing the highest standard of care in metabolic and bariatric surgery, ensuring that our community has access care interventions that afford them the opportunity to live their healthiest lives.”
As an MBSAQIP-accredited hospital, ECU Health Medical Center also becomes an ACS Surgical Quality Partner. Being a Surgical Quality Partner signifies a hospital’s dedication to consistently improving procedures and approaches, while maintaining a critical eye on process at every step. The Surgical Quality Partner designation lets patients know ECU Health is dedicated to quality and relentless self-improvement and has been verified or accredited by the ACS. Patients can trust that the care they receive at Surgical Quality Partner hospitals adheres to the most rigorous standards in surgical quality.
“ACS Quality programs are grounded in more than a century of experience and participation is an important measure of a hospital’s surgical quality. As an ACS Surgical Quality Partner, ECU Health has shown a commitment providing the best possible patient care, evaluating that care in a rigorous fashion, and dedicating themselves to continuous self-improvement,” said ACS Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS.
To learn more about bariatric surgery at ECU Health, please visit here.