Mercy Bariatric Surgery Clinic achieves accreditation for quality metabolic & bariatric care
Mercy Bariatric Surgery Clinic has been accredited as a Comprehensive Center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP®), an affiliate of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Mercy is the only Cedar Rapids hospital to achieve this accreditation and one of only nine in Iowa.
The accreditation means that patients seeking surgical 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.
According to Sajida Ahad, MD, FACS, bariatric surgeon and medical director of Mercy’s Bariatric Surgery Clinic, the MBSAQIP accreditation ensures that bariatric surgery patients receive not only the surgical procedure, but also care from a multidisciplinary team of providers, which improves patient outcomes and long-term success. MBSAQIP-accredited centers focus on tracking the outcomes of patients who undergo bariatric surgery and providing continuous quality improvement processes to make sure patients receive the premier level of care.
“We are pleased to have earned this accreditation,” Dr. Ahad said. “Mercy’s commitment to quality care begins with our expertly trained bariatric staff. Our team is dedicated to delivering safe, comprehensive and high-quality care – both pre-operatively and post-operatively – to all metabolic and bariatric patients.”
To earn MBSAQIP accreditation, Mercy Bariatric Surgery Clinic met essential criteria for staffing, training, facility infrastructure and patient care, thereby ensuring its ability to support patients with obesity. The clinic also participates in a national data registry that yields semiannual reports on the quality of its surgical outcomes and identifies opportunities for quality improvement.
After applying for MBSAQIP accreditation, Mercy Bariatric Surgery Clinic underwent an extensive site visit by an experienced bariatric surgeon who reviewed the center’s structure, processes and clinical outcomes data. Centers that earn accreditation are awarded a specific designation level, which is dependent upon how many patients they serve annually, critical care capabilities, the types of procedures provided, and whether they provide care to patients younger than the age of 18.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates about 93 million adults in the U.S. are affected by obesity, and that number continues to increase. What’s more, 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.
Mercy’s Bariatric Surgery Program made its debut with the first free informational seminar in June 2016. The first bariatric surgery was performed in December 2016; since the inception of the program at Mercy, Dr. Ahad has performed more than 350 bariatric surgeries.
