Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) announces its Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery Program is now accredited as a Comprehensive Center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), signifying the program meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality care.
Studies show that patients have better weight loss surgery outcomes in accredited bariatric surgical centers, where the center has undergone and passed rigorous evaluation in accordance with nationally recognized bariatric surgical standards. Accredited centers are also recognized for multidisciplinary teams with experts in areas such as nutrition and psychology, to ensure a patient’s success after surgery.
“This recognition underscores the daily commitment and high quality the AAMC Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery Program team demonstrates every day in the care of our patients,” says Alex Gandsas, MD, MBA, program medical director.
AAMC’s bariatric surgery center is designated as a Level I facility and was nationally accredited by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) in 2013. The ACS and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) have since combined their respective national bariatric surgery accreditation programs into a single unified program to achieve one national accreditation standard for bariatric surgery centers, the MBSAQIP.
The AAMC Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery Program’s re-accreditation proves that it consistently meets the highest quality standards of care for the weight loss operations it performs, including sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, and adjustable gastric band removal and revision.
In the United States, more than 11 million people suffer from severe obesity and an estimated 93 million people are obese. Conditions associated with obesity range from diabetes and heart disease to certain types of cancers. Bariatric surgical procedures have been shown to reduce obesity, improve mortality, and decrease the health risks from chronic diseases such as cardiomyopathy and diabetes.
The AAMC Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery Program is located in Annapolis and Easton. To learn more about weight loss surgery, attend a free seminar at AAMC. Visit askAAMC.org/WeightLoss for more information or to register.
About Anne Arundel Medical Center
Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC), a regional health system headquartered in Annapolis, Md., serves an area of more than one million people. Founded in 1902, AAMC includes a 425-bed not-for-profit hospital, a multi-specialty medical group, imaging and lab services, convenience care clinics, a research institute, a substance use treatment center and health enterprises. In addition to an Annapolis campus, AAMC has outpatient pavilions in Bowie, Kent Island, Odenton, Pasadena and Waugh Chapel. AAMC is nationally recognized for its joint replacement center, emergency heart attack response and cancer care. A leader in women’s services, AAMC delivers the state’s second highest number of babies annually and has a Level 3 NICU. AAMC is among just 6 percent of U.S. hospitals to be designated a Magnet® hospital, the highest-level credential for quality patient care and nursing excellence. As a Most Wired® healthcare organization, AAMC is nationally recognized for using technology to enhance the patient experience. With more than 1,000 medical staff members, 3,900 employees and 750 volunteers, AAMC consistently receives awards for quality, patient satisfaction and innovation. To learn more, visit askAAMC.org.
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