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Published on July 21, 2021

Owensboro Health Surgical Weight Loss Center achieves Center of Excellence accreditation 

Owensboro-area center meets all criteria as a MBSAQIP-Accredited Center of Excellence, according to national quality standards established to deliver safe, high quality metabolic and bariatric patient care

bariatrics team

OWENSBORO, Ky. (July 20, 2021) Owensboro Health Regional Hospital announced that its bariatric surgery program has been accredited as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence® (BSCOE) by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP®). This is a joint Quality Program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

MBSAQIP created this program to highlight providers who deliver excellent care. The Center of Excellence designation helps patients determine where they can expect to receive safer and more effective surgical 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.

“The Center of Excellence designation is a prestigious honor that will help our patients to access the highest quality surgical weight loss care,” said Debbie Bostic, Chief Operations Officer at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital. “It allows them to have confidence in their surgeon and the entire program. I want to congratulate Dr. Alapati and his team on the success of this program over the past three years.” 

Owensboro Health Surgical Weight Loss Center is led by  Ravi Alapati, MD, a board-certified general surgeon who has advanced fellowship training in minimally invasive and bariatric surgery and is a fellow of the ASMBS. Since its inception in 2018, the Owensboro Health Weight Loss Surgery Center has helped more than 500 patients lose weight and gain improved health and quality of life. 

To earn MBSAQIP accreditation, OHSWLC met essential criteria for staffing, training, facility infrastructure and patient-care pathways. After applying for MBSAQIP accreditation, centers undergo an extensive site visit by an experienced bariatric surgeon who reviews the Center's structure, processes and clinical outcomes data.

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.* Working together, the ACS and the ASMBS have developed accreditation standards for metabolic and bariatric surgery to assist patients with obesity in identifying centers that provide optimal patient care.

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*Buchwald H, Avidor Y, Braunwald E, et al. Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA. 2004;292(14):1724-1737. DOI:10.1001/jama.292.14.1724.

Contact: Somer Wilhite, Manager of Marketing - Communications, 270-685-7103 or Somer.Wilhite@OwensboroHealth.org.

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Owensboro Health is a nonprofit health system with a mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities it serves in Kentucky and Indiana. The system includes Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, nationally recognized for design, architecture and engineering and the only hospital in the world to be designated a Signature Sanctuary by Audubon International; Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital; Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center; the Owensboro Health Medical Group comprised of over 250 providers in 30 locations; three outpatient Healthplex facilities, a certified medical fitness facility; and the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center. For more information, visit OwensboroHealth.org.

About the American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical education and practice and to improve the quality of care for surgical patients. Its achievements have placed it at the forefront of American surgery and have made the College an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 82,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.

About the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) is the largest organization for metabolic and bariatric surgeons in the world, with more than 4,200 members. It is a not-for-profit organization that works to advance the science of metabolic and bariatric surgery. The ASMBS is committed to educating medical professionals and the lay public about metabolic and bariatric surgery, including the associated risks and benefits, as a treatment option for obesity.

 

About Owensboro Health

Owensboro Health is a nonprofit health system with a mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities it serves in Kentucky and Indiana. The system includes Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, nationally recognized for design, architecture and engineering; Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital; Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center; the Owensboro Health Medical Group comprised of over 350 providers at more than 30 locations; three outpatient Healthplex facilities, a certified medical fitness facility, the Healthpark; a weight management program, and the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center.

On average each year, we have more than 19,000 inpatient admissions, deliver 2,000 babies and provide the region’s only Level III NICU. Owensboro Health physicians perform nearly 33,000 surgical procedures, including nearly 150 open-heart surgeries. Our physicians and staff have 90,000 Emergency Department visits and more than 1.25 million outpatient visits annually. Visit our home page for more information.