Bon Secours Weight Loss program achieves reaccreditation

Health system meets standards established to deliver safe, quality metabolic & bariatric care

Bon Secours announced its Surgical Weight Loss program at the St. Francis Eastside campus has been reaccredited for Bariatric Surgery and Obesity Medicine Services. This means patients seeking treatment for obesity and its related conditions have a high-quality choice for receiving care at a nationally accredited program that meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality in the Upstate.

The designation comes from 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). Their standards ensure 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.

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. The disease of 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, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, among other health risks. Metabolic and bariatric surgery has proven to be effective in the reduction of comorbid conditions related to obesity.

Bon Secours began offering robotic bariatric procedures in 2020. Using this technology allows physicians to have better visualization during surgery, which can lessen the chance of complications. Robotic procedures also lead to a shorter length of stay, shorter recovery time, and less pain for patients.

“Nothing makes us happier than to see our patients come back to us with more confidence, living a healthier lifestyle that they’re truly enjoying. So, our bariatrics team will continue to work tirelessly, participate in regular program evaluations, meet safety requirements, and improve our processes to provide the very best bariatric care possible to our patients,” said Katie Nowakowski, Director of Disease Management for Bon Secours St. Francis.

Working together, the ACS and the ASMBS developed accreditation standards for metabolic and bariatric surgery to assist patients with obesity in identifying centers that provide optimal patient care. To earn MBSAQIP Accreditation, the St. Francis Surgical Weight Loss program met essential criteria for staffing, training, facility infrastructure and patient care pathways, ensuring its ability to support patients with obesity. The center also participates in a national data registry that yields semiannual reports on the quality of its surgical outcomes and identifying opportunities for quality improvement.

After applying for MBSAQIP Accreditation, centers also 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 it serves annually, critical care capabilities, the types of procedures provided, and whether it provides care to patients under the age of 18. For more information about the program and how you can get started, visit bonsecours.com.

About Bon Secours

Bon Secours St. Francis Health System is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH), one of the 20 largest health systems in the United States and the fifth-largest Catholic health system in the country. The ministry’s quality, compassionate care is provided by more than 60,000 associates serving communities in Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia, as well as throughout Ireland. Bon Secours Mercy Health provides care for patients more than 11 million times annually through its network of more than 1,200 care sites, which includes 49 hospitals. In 2023, BSMH provided more than $600 million dollars in community investments across five states, ensuring that cost is not a barrier to health care for our patients in need. Locally, Bon Secours St. Francis provides compassionate medical care to thousands of area residents through Bon Secours St. Francis Downtown and Bon Secours St. Francis Eastside, as well as a network of primary and specialty care practices, and ambulatory care sites across the Greenville region. The mission of Bon Secours St. Francis is to extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of our communities and bring good help to those in need, especially people who are poor, dying and underserved. For more information, visit BonSecours.com.