October 1, 2024
October 1, 2024
The Cooley Dickinson Hospital Bariatric and Weight Management program has earned accreditation as a “Comprehensive Center” by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MSBAQIP).
The accreditation, a first for Cooley Dickinson, ensures that weight loss surgery patients are receiving care at a nationally accredited program that meets the highest standards of patient safety and quality. MSBAQIP accreditation is a joint program of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).
“A tremendous amount of work went into earning this accreditation,” said bariatric surgeon Dr. Ursula McMillian, who pioneered
the bariatric program at Cooley Dickinson in 2021. “We are thrilled our team has reached this milestone. Our program is unique in that it focuses on encouraging and teaching patients about moderate exercise, along with weight loss surgery, as a means to maintain long-term success with weight loss.”
To earn MBSAQIP accreditation, Cooley Dickinson Hospital met essential criteria for staffing, training, facility infrastructure, and patient care. The standards ensure that accredited programs offer bariatric surgical patients a multidisciplinary program, not just a surgical procedure, which improves patient outcomes and long-term success.
“Preparing for the accreditation and going through the day-long site visit involved the efforts of so many people,” said Dr. McMillian. “I am fortunate to be part of an extremely dedicated team that truly cares about our patients and wants the best for them as they seek to overcome challenges with obesity.
Dr. McMillian points to two colleagues, bariatric dietitian and program coordinator Rebecca Rand and practice manager Rebecca Masi, who she says have gone above and beyond to build the program from the ground up.
“I couldn’t do what I do without their leadership and support,” she added.
Immediately following the accreditation site visit in August, Dr. McMillian noted that the “surveyor was impressed with our small program, and indicated there were no deficiencies or changes needed to how the program is run.”
Cooley Dickinson’s multidisciplinary bariatrics and weight management team provides patients with advanced and comprehensive care, including pre-surgery evaluation, nutrition education, and lifestyle modification. After surgery, patients are provided with unlimited ongoing guidance and support.
Cooley Dickinson’s Bariatric and Weight Management team is led Dr. McMillian, alongside Rand, Masi, nurse practitioner Sofia Buford, psychiatric nurse practitioner Kelly Buckley, and medical assistant Kelly Galindez.
In the United States, approximately 15.5 million people suffer from severe obesity, according to the National Institutes of Health, with numbers continuing to rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity is a common, serious, and costly disease. While obesity is often caused by poor eating and lack of exercise, it can also be impacted by underlying medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, and genetics.
Learn more about the Cooley Dickinson Bariatric and Weight Management program.
