St. Anthony’s Hospital’s Bariatric Program Receives National Accreditation

Program Recognized for Patient-Centered, Multidisciplinary Care

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., (Sept. 15, 2016) -- St. Anthony’s Hospital’s Bariatric Program has been accredited as a Comprehensive Center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), the nation’s accreditation standard for bariatric surgery centers.

The St. Anthony’s program was recognized for its commitment to providing and supporting quality improvement and patient safety efforts for metabolic and bariatric surgery patients.

“We are honored to be recognized for our commitment to provide high-quality, patient-centered care to patients choosing surgery to help take control of their weight loss,” said Scott Smith, president of St. Anthony’s Hospital. “The accreditation means that our program has met the nation’s highest standards of care for these procedures.”

To receive the accreditation, St. Anthony’s bariatric surgical center underwent a rigorous review process during which it demonstrated it is able to maintain certain physical resources, human resources, and standards of practice. As part of its accreditation, the center will report its outcomes to the MBSAQIP database.
“Through diet and exercise, some obese patients may be able to lose weight and keep it off with behavior therapy. Unfortunately, the significant majority of these patients are unable to maintain their weight loss for more than one year,” said George Rossidis, MD, a bariatric surgeon who is medical director of the St. Anthony’s Bariatric Program. “Weight loss surgery generally results in greater weight loss than conventional treatments and leads to a better quality of life.”

The MBSAQIP Standards ensure that bariatric surgical patients receive a multidisciplinary program, not just a surgical procedure, which improves patient outcomes and long-term success. The accredited center offers preoperative and postoperative care designed specifically for their severely obese patients.

Bariatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the causes, prevention and treatment of obesity. The St. Anthony’s Bariatric Program features several surgical treatments, including gastric bypass surgery, LAP-BAND surgery and vertical sleeve gastrectomy. St. Anthony’s also offers non-surgical treatments, education and programs that include nutrition visits, support groups, weight checks and customized exercise plans.

The MBSAQIP is a joint program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) which combined their respective national bariatric surgery accreditation programs into a single unified program to achieve one national accreditation standard for bariatric surgery centers.

About St. Anthony’s Hospital
St. Anthony’s Hospital is a 393-bed hospital founded in 1931 as a ministry of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany. Celebrating its 85th year in 2016, St. Anthony’s continues its rich history dedicated to improving the health of the community by providing high-quality, innovative and compassionate care. For more information on St. Anthony’s, call (727) 953-6993 or go to www.BayCare.org/SAH.

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