Preston Memorial Hospital and Dr. Ehab Akkary, Director of the Bariatric and Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery Department at PMH, received notification that they had become an American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and Surgical Review Corporation Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence. To earn the BSCOE designation, Dr. Akkary and Preston Memorial provided information on all aspects of its bariatric surgery program and processes, including data on its surgical outcomes.
The ASMBS Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence program recognizes surgeons and facilities that demonstrate an unparalleled commitment and ability to consistently deliver safe, effective, evidence-based care. The program is structured to help bariatric surgery providers continuously improve care quality and patient safety. The BSCOE designation currently enables reimbursement from major health insurers, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), CIGNA, Humana, Kaiser Permanente, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield. More than 262 million Americans are insured by health plans that recognize the BSCOE designation.
Preston Memorial Hospital and Dr. Akkary met the program’s objective requirements and evaluation processes, as developed in conjunction with leading bariatric surgeons, hospital administrators, health plans, researchers, and patient advocates. A commitment to long-term patient care and success necessitates that the requirements be comprehensive, research-based and verified through a rigorous site inspection. “Earning the ASMBS Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence designation signifies our ability to consistently deliver the safest, highest quality care to bariatric surgery patients,” said Dr. Akkary. “The ASMBS BSCOE program fosters quality improvement in bariatric surgery, and participation has focused our team on exceeding clinical benchmarks and guidelines. But most importantly, our commitment to excellence improves the health and well-being of our patients.” For more information about the BSCOE designation, please contact the Bariatric Department at PMH at (304) 329- 1400 x 262. |