September 17, 2009
The Johns Hopkins Center for Bariatric Surgery has been accredited as a Level 1B facility by the Bariatric Surgery Center Network (BSCN) Accreditation Program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This designation means that the Center for Bariatric Surgery has met the essential criteria that ensures it is fully capable of supporting a bariatric surgery care program and that its institutional performance meets the requirements outlined by the ACS BSCN Accreditation Program.
With bariatric programs growing throughout the country and a wealth of information available on the Internet, consumers may find it difficult to know which program offers the highest quality care. By accrediting bariatric centers, ACS believes it can assist the public in identifying facilities that provide optimal care for patients who undergo bariatric surgical procedures. In addition to having the hospital resources necessary for the care of patients, accredited bariatric surgery centers also offer the support and resources that are needed through the entire weight loss process, from the pre-hospital phase to post-operative care and treatment.
As a Level 1b facility, the Johns Hopkins Center for Bariatric Surgery offers a continuity of care strictly dedicated to bariatric surgery. Its multidisciplinary team is capable of managing the most challenging and complex patients with the best outcomes. The Center also performs a high volume of bariatric procedures (more than the yearly minimum of 125 weight-loss operations required to receive this designation).
Says Thomas Magnuson, M.D., director of the Center for Bariatric Surgery, "Choosing a certified bariatric program helps patients to ensure that their surgeon and hospital will deliver the best possible care in an environment committed to achieving excellence and long-term success."
There are four categories of accreditation for inpatient facilities–Level 1a, 1b, 2a and 2b. Each category has specific criteria that must be met by the facility seeking that level of accreditation. Each hospital undergoes onsite verification by experienced bariatric surgeons, who review the center’s structure, process and quality of data using the current ACS Bariatric Surgery Center Network Accreditation Program Manual as a guideline in conducting the survey. Because high-quality surgical care requires documentation using reliable measurements of outcomes, accredited bariatric surgery centers are required to report their bariatric surgery outcomes data either to the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) or the College’s BSCN Database, using a Web-based data entry system.
