Woodland Heights Medical Center Achieves Accreditation from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program®
6/5/2024
Lufkin, Texas – Patients seeking surgical treatment for obesity and its related conditions have a high-quality choice for receiving care at a nationally accredited program that meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality in the deep east Texas area.
Woodland Heights Medical Center announced today that its bariatric weight loss surgery center has been accredited as a Low Acuity Center by 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).
The MBSAQIP Standards, Optimal Resources for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, ensure that metabolic and bariatric patients receive multidisciplinary medical care, which improves patient outcomes and long-term success. MBSAQIP-Accredited centers offer preoperative and postoperative care designed specifically for patients with obesity.
“The surgical team at Woodland Heights Medical Center along with the surgeons of Angelina Surgical Associates have been providing bariatric weight loss surgery to East Texans for years,” states Darry Meyer, DO, Robotic, Bariatric & General Surgeon with Angelina Surgical Associates. “This achievement has been a long time in the making and I could not be prouder of the entire team.”
Woodland Heights Medical Center’s commitment to quality care begins with expertly trained staff and the leadership of an experienced bariatric surgeon. The program is tasked with continuous review of surgical data as they continue improving the structure and outcomes expertise necessary to provide safe, efficacious, and high-quality care to all metabolic and bariatric patients.
To earn MBSAQIP Accreditation, Woodland Heights Medical Center met essential criteria for staffing, training, facility infrastructure and patient care pathways, ensuring its ability to support patients with obesity. The center also participates in a national data registry that yields semiannual reports on the quality of its surgical outcomes and identifying opportunities for quality improvement.
“This accreditation is the result of hard work from the surgeons at Angelina Surgical Associates, our Woodland Heights nursing team, dietitians, ancillary members and our Bariatric Services Coordinator, Staci McCarty.” States Jose Echavarria, CEO at Woodland Heights. “We are excited about this next step in our program and to continue helping East Texans in their journey to better health.”
After applying for MBSAQIP Accreditation, centers undergo an extensive site visit by an experienced bariatric surgeon who reviews the center's structure, processes, and clinical outcomes data. Centers that earn accreditation are awarded a specific designation level, depending on how many patients it serves annually, critical care capabilities, the types of procedures provided, and whether it provides care to patients under the age of 18.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates about 93 million adults in the United States are affected by obesity and that number continues to increase. The disease of 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, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, among other health risks. Metabolic and bariatric surgery has proven to be effective in the reduction of comorbid conditions related to obesity.* Working together, the ACS and the ASMBS have developed accreditation standards for metabolic and bariatric surgery to assist patients with obesity in identifying centers that provide optimal patient care.
Pictured (left to right): Staci McCarty, Bariatric Coordinator for Woodland Heights Medical Center, Darry Meyer, D.O., and Ashley McElroy, M.D., both with Angelina Surgical Associates and Jose Echavarria, CEO for Woodland Heights Medical Center. Not pictured are surgeons Alan Bassin, M.D., and Jeffrey Hamaker, M.D.
*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.
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About the American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical education and practice and to improve the quality of care for surgical patients. Its achievements have placed it at the forefront of American surgery and have made the College an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 82,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.
About the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) is the largest organization for metabolic and bariatric surgeons in the world, with more than 4,200 members. It is a not-for-profit organization that works to advance the science of metabolic and bariatric surgery. The ASMBS is committed to educating medical professionals and the lay public about metabolic and bariatric surgery, including the associated risks and benefits, as a treatment option for obesity.
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