Memorial Hospital Pembroke Achieves MBSAQIP Reaccreditation
November 15, 2022
When it comes to patients seeking surgical treatment for weight-loss and other metabolic conditions, healthcare experts recommend finding a nationally accredited bariatric center that meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality. South Florida patients don’t need to go far as Memorial Hospital Pembroke recently received reaccreditation for this service 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).
Alongside Memorial Hospital Pembroke, there are two other bariatric centers part of Memorial Healthcare System that also hold this accreditation – one at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood and another at Memorial Hospital West in Pembroke Pines – all three bariatric centers raising the standards of care high for the benefit of patients.
“We are honored that our bariatric center has been reaccredited because it gives patients peace of mind that their care is being managed with the highest standards of surgical care for weight-loss and other metabolic issues,” said Stephen Demers, CEO, Memorial Hospital Pembroke.
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.
Memorial Hospital Pembroke’s reaccreditation comes with a commitment to quality care that begins with expertly trained staff and the leadership of an experienced bariatric surgeon, who is Brett Cohen, MD, chief, Adult General Surgery and Bariatric Surgery Program. The rest of the bariatric surgical team include Jeremy Gallego Eckstein, MD, associate medical director, Bariatric Surgery; Joseph Melendez-Davidson, MD, general and bariatric surgeon; and Emil Matei, MD, board-certified general surgeon and medical director, Bariatric Program, Memorial Hospital West. The program at Memorial Hospital Pembroke and the other facilities 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, Memorial Hospital Pembroke 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.
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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 93 million adults in the United States are affected by obesity and that number continues to increase. The disease of 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, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, among other health risks. Metabolic and bariatric surgery has proven to be effective in the reduction of comorbid conditions related to obesity.* Working together, the ACS and the ASMBS have developed accreditation standards for metabolic and bariatric surgery to assist patients with obesity in identifying centers that provide optimal patient care.