National Accreditation Achieved by Foothill Regional Medical Center for Weight-Loss Surgery
South Orange County residents seeking surgical treatment for obesity and its related conditions have a nationally recognized choice for receiving treatment at Foothill Regional Medical Center. Some 15.5 million people in the U.S. suffer from severe obesity and the numbers continue to increase, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Foothill Regional’s surgical weight-loss program has been accredited as a Comprehensive Center for Bariatric Surgery 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 accreditation is an affirmation of the hard work and dedication of our surgeons, nurses and staff, as well as their commitment to ensuring that every patient who comes to us for weight-loss surgery receives the highest-quality, compassionate care,” said Dr. Atif Iqbal, medical director of Foothill Regional’s surgical weight-loss program.
“We are proud of this prestigious accreditation earned by our surgical weight-loss program,” added Araceli Lonergan, hospital CEO. “This is a great example of the nationally recognized care we provide to residents of Tustin and our surrounding communities.”
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 pre-operative and post-operative care designed specifically for severely obese patients.
Foothill Regional’s commitment to quality care began with appropriately trained staff and the leadership of surgeons who participate in meetings throughout the year to review outcomes. The hospital seeks continuous improvement to enhance the structure, process and outcomes of its center.
To earn the MBSAQIP designation, Foothill Regional 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.
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 surgical weight-loss patients in identifying those centers that provide optimal surgical care.
*Buchwald H, Avidor Y, Braunwald E, et al. Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA. 2004;292(14):1724-1737. DOI:10.1001/jama.292.14.1724.