Newswise — The Center for Bariatric Medicine and Surgery at Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center was recently re-accredited as a Comprehensive Bariatric 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).
“This re-accreditation demonstrates our commitment to providing our patients with the most innovative weight loss surgery options along with focused, personalized care and comprehensive support services,” said Hans J. Schmidt, M.D., FACS, chief, Division of Bariatric Surgery, and director, Center for Bariatric Medicine and Surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center. “Our multidisciplinary team, including dieticians, counselors, surgeons, advanced practice providers and nurses support patients before, during and after their procedures to maximize long-term success. We also partner with the HackensackUMC Fitness and Wellness Center powered by the Giants to provide exercise programs tailored to our patient population.”
The Center for Bariatric Medicine and Surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center was first accredited as a Comprehensive Bariatric Center in 2006, making this the fourth re-accreditation.
”The Center for Bariatric Medicine and Surgery is one of the nation’s leading programs,” said Mark D. Sparta, FACHE, president and chief hospital executive, Hackensack University Medical Center, executive vice president, Population Health, Hackensack Meridian Health. “Our board-certified surgeons provide state-of-the-art treatment options to manage obesity and achieve outstanding results that exceed the national benchmarks. The Comprehensive Bariatric Center re-accreditation affirms the high-level of care our bariatric patients receive when they choose Hackensack University Medical Center.”
The MBSAQIP Standards, outlined in the Resources for Optimal Care of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Patient 2016 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, as well as medical options for weight loss.
After submitting an application, 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. Centers are awarded a specific designation depending on how many patients it serves annually, the type of procedures it provides, and whether it provides care for patients under age 18.
To earn the MBSAQIP designation, Hackensack University Medical Center 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.
“The Center for Bariatric Medicine and Surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center performs almost 1,000 procedures annually, making it one of the highest volume weight loss surgery centers in the United States,” said Massimo M. Napolitano, M.D., FACS, vice chair, Department of Surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center. "Having performed the first laparoscopic gastric bypass in New Jersey in 1999, the Center has since performed more than 10,000 bariatric procedures. The surgical program is combined with a multidisciplinary medical program to provide patients with comprehensive care before and after surgery to help them achieve their weight loss goals, maintain their health and well-being and keep the weight off.”
Hackensack Meridian Health boasts four other hospitals with designations from the Comprehensive Bariatric Center under the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), including: Mountainside Hospital, Raritan Bay Medical Center Old Bridge, Southern Ocean Medical Center and Bayshore Medical Center.
According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 20 million Americans suffer from morbid obesity, making it one of the leading medical problems facing the country today. 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.
About Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center
Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center, a 781-bed nonprofit teaching and research hospital located in Bergen County, NJ, is the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state. Founded in 1888 as the county’s first hospital, it is now part of the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care, which is comprised of 34,100 team members and more than 6,500 physicians. Hackensack University Medical Center was listed as one of the top two hospitals in New Jersey in U.S. News & World Report’s 2018-19 Best Hospital rankings. It was also named one of the top five New York Metro Area hospitals. Hackensack University Medical Center is one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more years in a row. Becker’s Hospital Review recognized Hackensack University Medical Center as one of the 100 Great Hospitals in America 2018. The medical center is one of the top 25 green hospitals in the country according to Practice Greenhealth, and received 25 Gold Seals of Approval™ by The Joint Commission – more than any other hospital in the country. It was the first hospital in New Jersey and second in the nation to become a Magnet® recognized hospital for nursing excellence; receiving its sixth consecutive designation in 2019. Hackensack University Medical Center has created an entire campus of award-winning care, including: the John Theurer Cancer Center; the Heart & Vascular Hospital; and the Sarkis and Siran Gabrellian Women’s and Children’s Pavilion, which houses the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital and Donna A. Sanzari Women’s Hospital, which was designed with The Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center® and listed on the Green Guide’s list of Top 10 Green Hospitals in the U.S. Hackensack University Medical Center is the Hometown Hospital of the New York Giants and the New York Red Bulls and is Official Medical Services Provider to THE NORTHERN TRUST PGA Golf Tournament. It remains committed to its community through fundraising and community events especially the Tackle Kids Cancer Campaign providing much needed research at the Children’s Cancer Institute housed at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital. To learn more, visit www.HackensackUMC.org.
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