Waterbury Hospital Achieves Metabolic And Bariatric Accreditation

Press release from Waterbury Health:

Sept. 7, 2021

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 greater Waterbury area.

Dr. Juan Diego Holguin, MD, FACS, Medical Director of the Waterbury HEALTH Comprehensive Weight Management Program and Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Director at Waterbury Hospital announced today that its bariatric surgery center has been accredited as a Comprehensive 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.

“This accreditation is a testament to the quality of care we’ve provided our patients since we created the Weight Management Center and the bariatric program. We offer personalized care and attention and I look forward to helping many more patients,” said Medical Director of the Comprehensive Weight Management Program at Waterbury HEALTH and the metabolic and bariatric surgery at Waterbury Hospital, Dr. Juan Diego Holguin, MD, FACS.

Waterbury Hospital’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, Waterbury Hospital 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. The MBSAQIP Standards, Optimal Resources for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, are published by the ACS and the ASMBS.

“We pride ourselves in providing patients with quality care locally and this accreditation is another example of that. I want to congratulate Dr. Holguin and his team for an accreditation with high praise from the reviewers on the great care they provide our patients,” said Waterbury HEALTH President and CEO Lester P. Schindel.

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.

To find out more about the Comprehensive Weight Management Program at Waterbury Hospital, visit: waterburyhospital.org/weight-management/ or call: 203-568-2929.

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*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.

This press release was produced by Waterbury Health. The views expressed here are the author's own.