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 Central Kentucky.
Dr. Tin Tran, bariatric and general surgeon and medical director at Ephraim McDowell Bariatric Center (EMBC), announced today that Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center’s Bariatric Program 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.
“We are extremely proud of our Bariatric Program and very pleased with how we performed during the accreditation process,” says Dr. Tran. “The surveyors were very complimentary of our program throughout the entire process. This achievement would not have been possible without our team of dedicated and highly trained individuals. This is quite an accomplishment and it means that our patients are receiving the best care available, right here in Danville.”
Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center Bariatric Program’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, Ephraim McDowell 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 are very proud and excited to receive accreditation for our Bariatric Program,” says Dr. Gary Bunch, chief medical officer, Ephraim McDowell Health. “Dr. Tran, along with our Associates at Ephraim McDowell Bariatric Center, our Surgical Services Department, and staff in our Dietary Department, Behavioral Health Services, and McDowell Wellness Center, have worked extremely hard to earn accreditation in order to offer our bariatric patients the best care possible. The site reviewer was very complimentary of the program, particularly the patient outcomes and the dedication to bariatric patients by the entire staff.”
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 Ephraim McDowell Bariatric Center is located at 102 Citation Drive in Danville. To schedule an appointment with the Bariatric Center call (859) 239-5940. For more information, please visit www.embariatrics.org.