WeightWise is proud to be accredited through the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP®). This is a single unified program that is one national accreditation standard for bariatric surgery centers and it was founded by The American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
The goal of the MBSAQIP is to help promote safe, top-quality care for patients undergoing bariatric surgery at a surgical center. An accredited surgical center such as WeightWise goes through a demanding review process that proves that it can maintain specific physical resources, human resources and other quality standards of practice.
What is the program?
This program is used for inpatient and outpatient bariatric surgical centers. Because of an increased amount of bariatric surgeries happening in the country, the American College of Surgeons released the first Bariatric Surgery Center Network accreditation standards manual in 2005, and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery released accreditation standards for Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence in 2004. In 2012, the two programs combined to be the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, which is now administered by the staff and communities of the American College of Surgeons.
What is involved in accreditation?
There are various core standards that are involved in the accreditation process. These include:
Standard 1: Case volume, patient selection, and approved procedures
All primary and revisional elective procedures, as well as complications and other reoperations related to bariatric surgery, need to be submitted to the MBSAQIP data registry platform.
Standard 2: Commitment to quality care
There must be a committee established of surgeons and other proceduralists that perform surgical procedures. The committee must have an MBS director that is an active surgeon and the team must meet at least three times a year. Ine of the meetings being a comprehensive review of procedures, outcomes, patient quality initiatives, with a review of MBSAQIP standards. There are requirements surrounding facilities and how many beds are required to be a safe space for recovering patients, and the center must have access or provide direct referrals to other medical professionals such as registered nurses, dietitians, physical therapists, and psychologists.
Standard 3: Appropriate equipment and instruments
Each center must have designated equipment and instruments available specifically for metabolic and bariatric surgical patients, including operating room tables, wheelchairs, furniture, floor-mounted or floor-supported toilets, fluoroscopic technologies, and more.
Standard 4: Critical care support
If there is critical care required for a patient, the bariatric surgery center and their surgeons must be able to ensure that the patients get the right care by providing consultative services, as well as access to personnel that can provide life support on-site.
Standard 5: Continuum of care
Bariatric surgery centers are required to put into practice a variety of comprehensive protocols that outline the continuum of care, which includes providing patient education, perioperative care, 30-day, and long-term follow up on recovery, and support groups.
Standard 6: Data collection
The director of the clinic must work collaboratively with clinical reviewers, doctors offices, and more to provide data that is accurate for both long term and short term results.
Standard 7: Continuous quality improvement
Each center must collaborate regularly to report, analyze, and implement strategies based that can create action plans that help in case of any adverse events.
Standard 8: Ambulatory Surgery Centers
This is a separate accreditation and is awarded to places that partner with MBSAQIP-accredited centers to ensure quality care.
Standard 9: Adolescent Center Accreditation
For surgical centers that perform procedures on people under age 18, the center needs to complete accreditation that is separate and distinct from adult accreditation.