Geisinger Medical Center is Recognized as Bariatric Center of Excellence

DANVILLE - Geisinger Medical Center was recently named an American Society for Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society of Bariatric Surgery (ASBS).  The Bariatric Center of Excellence designation recognizes surgical programs with a demonstrated track record of favorable outcomes in bariatric surgery.

To earn a Center of Excellence designation, Geisinger Medical Center’s bariatric program underwent a site inspection from the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) during which all aspect of the program’s surgical processes were closely examined and data on health outcomes collected. Geisinger Medical Center and other centers receiving the Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence designation agree to continue to share information on clinical pathways, protocols and outcomes.

Faced with clinical evidence that the most experienced and best-run bariatric surgery programs have by far the lowest rates of complications, the ASBS Center of Excellence program was created to recognize bariatric surgery centers that perform well, and to help surgeons and hospitals continue to improve the quality and safety of care provided.

Bariatric surgery can help obese patients manage many of their medical problems like diabetes, sleep apnea and high cholesterol. “There is no other single treatment that, when performed under optimal conditions such as at our institution, can cure so many medical problems directly related to one’s obesity” states Christopher Still, DO, FACP, Medical Director of Geisinger’s Center for Nutrition and Weight Management.  By definition, surgeons with ASBS Center of Excellence designation practice only top-quality care, ensuring efficacy of the procedure with each patient to the best of their abilities. Geisinger Medical Center’s comprehensive program approaches bariatric surgery with input from a team of experts who provide in- dept medical care, education, behavior modifications, psychological counseling and support before, during and after the surgery.

 “The incidence of obesity in our population has increased steadily over the past eight years,” states Peter Benotti,MD,FACS, Director of Geisinger’s  Department of General Surgery and Bariatric Surgery Program.  “Between 1998 and 2002 the number of bariatric surgeries in the United States quadrupled from 13,386 to 71,833.  Our Bariatric Surgical Program performed approximately one thousand surgeries. After a highly rigorous process, Geisinger Medical Center is honored to be recognized by the American Society of Bariatric Surgery as a Center of Excellence.”

Surgical Review Corporation, an organization dedicated to pursuing surgical excellence, formulates and establishes the rigorous standards with which Geisinger Medical Center and other Centers of Excellence must comply, thoroughly inspects and evaluates each candidate for designation, and upon review recommends approval of designation for those physicians and facilities whose practices and outcomes meet the stringent demands set forth by SRC for ASBS.

Obesity has become a significant national health issue, with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that 65 percent of all U.S. adults are overweight or obese. Morbid obesity is closely correlated with a number of serious conditions that severely undermine the health of overweight patients, including heart disease high blood pressure and diabetes.

For more information about our program, please call 1-800-275-6401 and ask for GI Nutrition.