The Center for Weight Loss Surgery at Wood County Hospital Achieves National Re-Accreditation

Patients seeking surgical treatment for severe obesity and its related conditions continues to have a high-quality choice for treatment at a nationally accredited program that meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality of care in the greater northwest Ohio and southeastern Michigan areas.

Dr. Peter Lalor, medical director at The Center for Weight Loss Surgery (CWLS) at Wood County Hospital (WCH), today announced that the bariatric surgical center has been re-accredited as a Comprehensive Center under the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP®), a joint program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

“I am so proud to be part of this bariatric team. This is our 10th year of accreditation. I truly believe we have the top program in the state thanks to our team work, dedication to our patients and commitment to always improve,” said Dr. Lalor.

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 and include pre and post-surgery support. Accredited centers seek continuous improvement to enhance the structure, process and outcomes of the center.

To earn the MBSAQIP designation, the center met essential criteria for staffing, training and facility infrastructure and protocols for care, ensuring its ability to support patients with severe obesity.

“Bariatric Surgery has been a part of Wood County Hospital for over three decades. In fact, our bariatric surgeons were pioneers in the development and evolution of bariatrics in this country. We are extremely proud of Dr. Lalor and the entire bariatrics team for their continued commitment to excellence in serving this patient population and congratulate them on the renewal of program accreditation.” – Stan Korducki, President, Wood County Hospital

After applying, centers seeking MBSAQIP Accreditation undergo an extensive site visit by an experienced bariatric surgeon, who reviews the center’s structure, process, and clinical outcomes data.

The CWLS at WCH was also recently the recipient of the Women’s Choice Award for 2018 as an America’s Most Recommended hospital for bariatric surgery.

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.* Working with ASMBS, the ACS expanded this quality program for bariatric surgery centers so that it can assist bariatric patients in identifying those centers that provide optimal surgical 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.