East Cooper Medical Center receives accreditation from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program®

East Cooper Medical Center congratulates its Bariatric Program staff on their recent accreditation by the American College of Surgeons’ Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP®). East Cooper Medical Center’s Bariatric Program is now a fully accredited Bariatric Surgery Center with adolescent qualifications.

The MBSAQIP® is a joint Quality Program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).  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.

“Our Bariatric Program received this accreditation without a single deficiency,” said Dr. Morris Washington, Medical Director of the Bariatric Surgery Program at East Cooper Medical Center. “This is very rare for a new Bariatric Program and is a testament to the hard work and attention to detail of everyone involved.  This accreditation will now allow us to offer this life changing surgery to even more patients, including adolescents.”

To earn MBSAQIP Accreditation, East Cooper Medical Center met essential criteria for staffing, training, facility infrastructure and patient care pathways, ensuring its ability to support patients with obesity. The hospital 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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates about 93 million adults in the United States are affected by obesity and that number continues to increase,” said Patrick Downes, Chief Executive Officer of East Cooper Medical Center. “Under the experienced leadership of Dr. Washington, the bariatric program at East Cooper Medical Center remains committed to providing safe, high-quality care to all metabolic and bariatric patients. This accreditation is a testament of the time, energy, care and effort our bariatrics team takes for each patient as they pursue their weight management goals.”