ECMC again achieves national accreditation from Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program

ECMC Synergy Bariatrics/Center for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery again meets all criteria as a Comprehensive Center according to national quality standards established to deliver safe, high quality bariatric patient care

Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) Corp. announced its Synergy Bariatrics/Center for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery has recently been accredited for a third consecutive three-year period as a comprehensive center under the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) – a joint program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). This accreditation extends from March 27 through March 27, 2025.

In a May 20 correspondence to ECMC, MBSAQIP Standards and Verification Co-Chairs David Provost, M.D., FACS, FASMBS; and Wayne J. English, M.D., FACS, FASMBS, stated that accreditation for ECMC “formally acknowledges your commitment to providing and supporting quality improvement and patient safety efforts for metabolic and bariatric surgery patients. As an accredited program, you have demonstrated that your center meets the needs of your patients by providing multidisciplinary, high-quality, patient-centered care.”

ECMC Synergy Bariatrics/Center for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Director Christina Sanders, D.O., MBA, FACS, FASMBS, said, “We are very pleased and gratified that we have received this designation for a third consecutive three-year term. Our team worked collaboratively and diligently for this accreditation. Achieving this accreditation means that ECMC’s bariatric program is of the highest quality and properly centered on the patient.”

ECMC Corp. President and CEO Thomas J. Quatroche Jr., Ph.D., said, “This national accreditation is evidence that ECMC’s bariatric program continues to deliver care of the highest quality. I congratulate Dr. Sanders, Donna Jones, ECMC’s chief quality officer and ambulatory administrator, and the entire bariatric team for their dedication to providing this excellent specialized service to patients from across our region.”

The MBSAQIP site visit reviewer noted the following strengths of ECMC’s bariatric program:

√ Strong program with good team integration.

√ Comprehensive patient education process.

√ Good PI process with incorporation of quality staff.

Patients seeking surgical treatment for severe obesity and its related conditions have a high-quality choice for receiving treatment at a nationally accredited program that meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality of care in the Western New York Region.

A press release noted, “The MBSAQIP standards, outlined in the Resources for Optimal Care of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Patient 2019, ensure that bariatric surgical patients receive a multidisciplinary program, not just a surgical procedure, which improves patient outcomes and long-term success. The accredited center offers preoperative and postoperative care designed specifically for their severely obese patients.

“ECMC Synergy Bariatrics/Center for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery’s commitment to quality care begins with appropriately trained staff and the leadership surgeons who participate in meetings throughout the year to review its outcomes. They seek continuous improvement to enhance the structure, process and outcomes of the center.

“To earn the MBSAQIP designation, ECMC Synergy Bariatrics/Center for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery met essential criteria for staffing, training and facility infrastructure and protocols for care, ensuring its ability to support patients with severe obesity. The center also participates in a national data registry that yields semiannual reports on the quality of its processes and outcomes, identifying opportunities for continuous quality improvement. The standards are specified in the MBSAQIP Resources for Optimal Care of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Patient 2019, published by the ACS and ASMBS.

“After submitting an application, centers seeking MBSAQIP Accreditation undergo an extensive site visit by an experienced bariatric surgeon, who reviews the center's structure, process, and clinical outcomes data. Centers are awarded a specific designation depending on how many patients it serves annually, the type of procedures it provides, and whether it provides care for patients under age 18.

“In the United States, around 15.5 million people suffer from severe obesity, according to the National Institutes of Health, and the numbers continue to increase. 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, and cardiovascular disease, among other health risks.”