Mary Washington Hospital’s Bariatric Surgery Program Attains National Accreditation

Mary Washington Hospital’s Bariatric Surgery Program Attains National Accreditation

from the American College of Surgeons Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery

Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program

Accreditation demonstrates Mary Washington’s Surgical Weight Loss Program’s commitment to ensuring the safe and effective performance of metabolic and bariatric surgery

Fredericksburg, VA, (October 15, 2024) – Mary Washington Hospital’s Bariatric Surgery Program is proud to announce they have received their second accreditation under the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), a joint quality program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

MBSAQIP is a comprehensive, nationwide surgical quality program aimed at ensuring the safe

and effective performance of metabolic and bariatric surgery. Surgical outcomes focus on weight loss and the treatment of obesity-related diseases, like diabetes, sleep apnea, and others. Research shows accredited centers experience lower complications, and better outcomes than that of non-accredited facilities.

Denis Halmi, MD, Medical Director for the Bariatric Surgery Program at Mary Washington Hospital, and the Mary Washington Weight Loss Center, expressed his pride in achieving this accreditation. He stated, "This accreditation demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the safe and effective performance of metabolic and bariatric surgery. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality care to our patients and continuously improving our procedures and approaches."

As an MBSAQIP-accredited hospital, Mary Washington Hospital’s Bariatric Surgery Program also becomes an ACS Surgical Quality Partner. Being a Surgical Quality Partner signifies a hospital’s dedication to consistently improving procedures and approaches, while maintaining a critical eye on process at every step. The Surgical Quality Partner designation lets patients know they are dedicated to quality and relentless self-improvement and has been verified or accredited by the ACS. Patients can trust that the care they receive at Surgical Quality Partner hospitals adheres to the most rigorous standards in surgical quality.

"ACS Quality programs are grounded in more than a century of experience and participation is an important measure of a hospital’s surgical quality. As an ACS Surgical Quality Partner, Mary Washington Hospital’s Bariatric Surgery Program has shown a commitment providing the best possible patient care, evaluating that care in a rigorous fashion, and dedicating themselves to continuous self-improvement," said ACS Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS.

To learn more about Mary Washington Hospital’s surgical weight loss program, visit weightloss.mwhc.com.

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About Mary Washington Healthcare

Mary Washington Healthcare is a fully integrated, regional healthcare system that provides inpatient and outpatient care at over 60 facilities including Mary Washington Hospital, a 471-bed tertiary hospital, Stafford Hospital, a 100-bed community hospital, four emergency departments, and a multi-specialty graduate medical education program. Mary Washington Healthcare is a non-profit health system with a longstanding commitment to provide care regardless of ability to pay. For more information about our services and facilities, visit mwhc.com.

About the American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 88,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. “FACS” designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

About the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery

The ASMBS is the largest organization for bariatric surgeons in the nation. It is a non-profit organization that works to advance the art and science of bariatric surgery and is committed to educating medical professionals and the lay public about bariatric surgery as an option for the treatment of morbid obesity, as well as the associated risks and benefits. It encourages its members to investigate and discover new advances in obesity, while maintaining a steady exchange of experiences and ideas that may lead to improved outcomes for morbidly obese patients. For more information, visit www.asmbs.org.