Northwest Medical Center-Springdale earns accreditation for adolescent weight loss surgery
10/15/2018
(SPRINGDALE, AR) – Oct. 15, 2018— Northwest Medical Center-Springdale, working in conjunction with Roller Weight Loss and Advanced Surgery, has earned accreditation from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) as a comprehensive center with adolescent qualifications. It is the only program in Arkansas to have earned the adolescent accreditation.
The bariatric surgical program was already accredited as a comprehensive center through MBSAQIP®, a joint program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). This achievement assures patients who are seeking surgical treatment for severe obesity and its related conditions that they have a high-quality choice for receiving treatment at a nationally accredited program that meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality of care.
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. Accredited centers, like the one at Northwest Health, offer preoperative and postoperative care designed specifically for severely obese patients.
The comprehensive adolescent program was developed to address the specific needs of teenagers through young adulthood.
“The impact of childhood obesity cannot be overestimated as it has both immediate and long-term effects,” said Dr. Joshua Roller, Bariatric Surgeon and Medical Director for Bariatric Surgery at Northwest Health. “In fact, it has been suggested that the increase in childhood obesity between the 1960s and the 2000s may have led to the increase in Type II diabetes diagnoses in both children and adolescents. More than 20 million people in the U.S. currently have diabetes. Obesity has been found to lead to 95% of type II diabetes.”
“These talented surgeons and staff members have changed thousands of lives for the better through the weight loss surgery service we offer. People who have struggled with the complications of being overweight can once again take their lives back,” said Denten Park, Northwest Health Market CEO. “We’ve worked with Dr. Roller and his team to provide bariatric surgery on both our Springdale and Physicians’ Specialty Hospital campuses for a number of years now and are proud of the comprehensive services that have been developed. The achievement of this latest accolade attests to the high quality of services we collaboratively provide.”
In the United States, around 15.5 million people suffer from severe obesity, according to the National Institutes of Health, and the numbers continue to increase. 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, and cardiovascular disease, among other health risks. Metabolic and bariatric surgical procedures have proven to be effective in the reduction of comorbid conditions related to severe obesity.*
The multidisciplinary team works together to provide medical, nutritional, educational and behavioral support to create a customized weight loss treatment plan with the patient. The team helps teens develop healthy lifestyle habits and prepares them for bariatric surgery, and also provides post-surgical weight management strategies. Dr. Laurie Anderson serves as Pediatric Medical Advisor for the adolescent program.
Adolescent weight loss surgery candidates should have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher, or 35-39.9 with obesity-related medical conditions, such as type II diabetes, sleep apnea or high blood pressure. For more information, call 479-757-2040 or visit www.NorthwestHealth.com/weightloss
To earn the MBSAQIP designation, Northwest Health met essential criteria for staffing, training and facility infrastructure and protocols for care, ensuring its ability to support patients with severe obesity. The center also participates in a national data registry that yields semiannual reports on the quality of its processes and outcomes, identifying opportunities for continuous quality improvement. The standards are specified in the MBSAQIP Resources for Optimal Care of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Patient 2016, published by the ACS and ASMBS.
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