Franciscan Health Bariatric Center named Center of Excellence

Gerald A. Cahill, MD, board-certified surgeon and Franciscan Health Center for Bariatric Surgery medical director, announced that The Clinical Sciences Institute (CSI) of Optum has awarded Franciscan Health Olympia Fields with The Center of Excellence (COE) designation for bariatric surgery. Optum COE Bariatric Centers are nationally-designated healthcare facilities shown to deliver quality specialty care based on objective measures developed with medical community input for patient safety and better health outcomes.

To earn this designation, the Olympia Fields facility has demonstrated success in patient safety, clinical qualification and maintains a cost-effective contract for participation in the network. The Center has proven to provide access to excellent care in bariatrics, ensuring its ability to support patients with obesity concerns. Its success in meeting patient safety as well as bariatric-specific quality measures, including complications and readmissions, for bariatric procedures exceed expectations.

“My goal is to provide excellent, personalized, safe care for patients requesting weight-loss surgery,” Dr. Cahill said. “The benefits of surgery include sustained weight loss and improvements in co-morbid conditions, daily living activities, sense of self and attitude about their lives and healthy lifestyles.”

Dr. Cahill has dedicated his practice to weight loss surgery and specializes in minimally-invasive, laproscopic surgical techniques to treat obesity. He performs Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and gastric sleeve procedures. Performing more than 8,000 successful weight loss surgeries, since 1998, Dr. Cahill is among the most experienced Chicago area bariatric surgeons.

“I strive to assist patients on achieving a realistic goal weight, a resolution of medical problems, a positive attitude about their health and an overall improved lifestyle,” Dr. Cahill said. “We are grateful for the hard work, dedication, and untiring commitment of the entire team that has made this achievement possible.”

The Center for Bariatric Surgery carefully prepares patients in the weeks and months before surgery to ensure physical, emotional and psychological readiness to maintain a lifetime of good health.

“Franciscan Health Olympia Fields is proud to be recognized by Optum for meeting the rigorous selection criteria for bariatric surgery,” Dr. Cahill said.

Submitted by Robyn Ali, Marketing Specialist, Franciscan Health Olympia Fields, Marketing and Public Relations Department robyn.ali@franciscanalliance.org