Crouse Hospital Achieves National Recognition from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program

The bariatric (weight loss) surgery program at Crouse Health has been re-accredited 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 and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

Jeffrey DeSimone, MD, medical director of Crouse Hospital’s Weight Loss Surgery program, says, “This accreditation is the definitive ‘seal of approval’ in our field, and it tells patients that we meet the highest standards for patient safety and quality.”

The MBSAQIP standards ensure that bariatric surgery patients receive care from a multidisciplinary team of providers that strives to improve patient outcomes and long-term success. MBSAQIP-accredited centers focus on tracking outcomes of patients who undergo bariatric surgery and providing continuous quality improvement processes to make sure patients receive the highest level of care.

To earn the MBSAQIP designation, Crouse’s bariatric surgery program met strict criteria for staffing, training and facility infrastructure and protocols for care, ensuring its ability to support patients with severe obesity.

“We are committed to providing the highest quality of care. This accreditation showcases the hard work that our bariatric team puts forth every day. I am proud of the high-quality outcomes that Dr. DeSimone and his team have accomplished,” says Chief Medical Officer/Chief Operating Officer Seth Kronenberg, MD.

Crouse started its bariatric surgery program in late 2011. Since that time, Dr. DeSimone and Kenneth Cooper, DO, have performed an increasing number of weight loss surgeries each year. The bariatric surgery program has also earned the Blue Distinction Center + and Blue Distinction Center designations from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, and Crouse is a designated United HealthCare Center of Excellence for Bariatric Surgery and an Aetna Institute of Quality for Bariatric Surgery provider.

“We are proud to have again earned this accreditation,” says Crouse bariatric surgeon Kenneth Cooper, DO. “Achieving this accreditation reflects the level of commitment our bariatric team has in achieving both quality outcomes and patient satisfaction as our patients go through their weight-loss journey.”

The Crouse Health program is a partnership with Central New York Surgical Physicians, PC. To learn more about the program, visit crouse.org/weightloss or call Colleen Cauley, RN, at 315-470-8974.