FIT - Covenant High Plains Surgery Center becomes West Texas' only surgery center to achieve accreditation from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program®

Lubbock-area surgery center becomes one of only a dozen in the country to meet all criteria as a MBSAQIP-Accredited Center, according to national quality standards established to deliver safe, high quality metabolic and bariatric patient care

PR Newswire

LUBBOCK, Texas , June 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- West Texas patients seeking outpatient, surgical treatment for obesity and its related conditions now have a high-quality, cost-effective choice for receiving care at a nationally accredited program that meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality.

Dr. Adam Purtell , Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Director at Covenant High Plains Surgery Center (CHPSC), announced today that its bariatric surgery center has been accredited as an Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) 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). MBSAQIP Accreditation is normally the domain of hospital programs, and only a dozen surgery centers in the nation have merited this designation.

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 surgery centers offer preoperative and postoperative care designed specifically for patients with obesity.

"We are excited about the opportunity to offer Lubbock and the West Texas community an excellent Bariatric surgery experience in the only MBSAQIP-accredited ambulatory surgery center in the region," said Dr. Purtell. "Our fellowship-trained Bariatric surgeons can offer tremendous quality and outcomes at affordable cost. The accreditation also allows many insured patients with Bariatric benefits the opportunity to change their lives as well, with long term weight loss and improvement of medical conditions."

CHPSC's commitment to quality care begins with its expertly trained staff and the leadership of an experienced bariatric surgeon. The program 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, CHPSC 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.

"For the first time, patients in West Texas have the option to experience this level of care in an ambulatory surgery center," stated CHPSC Administrator Alfonso del Granado . "ASCs are known for being a convenient, less-expensive alternative to hospitals overall, but the MBSAQIP Accreditation lets the bariatric patient know that we meet the highest standards of quality in healthcare."

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 (CDC) 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.

A bariatric patient himself, del Granado supports his organization's commitment to excellence. "Too many patients have not been able to afford the treatment options available at large hospital programs, or had to compromise by seeking care at non-accredited centers. With this accreditation, we are demonstrating our commitment to offer patients the highest standards of care in West Texas ."

*Buchwald H, Avidor Y, Braunwald E, et al. Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA . 2004;292(14):1724-1737. DOI:10.1001/jama.292.14.1724.

About Covenant High Plains Surgery Center, LLC
Covenant High Plains Surgery Center (CHPSC) operates two freestanding, independent multispecialty ambulatory surgery centers in Lubbock, Texas . Fully accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, and now by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, CHPSC was created by the 2015 merger of Covenant Surgical Center (est. 1986) and High Plains Surgery Center (est. 2006). With 13 operating and procedure rooms and more than a hundred physicians on staff, CHPSC offers the latest treatment options in dermatology, ENT, general surgery, GI, gynecology, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pain, plastic & reconstructive surgery, podiatry, and urology to serve the needs of ambulatory surgery patients from Texas , New Mexico , and Oklahoma .

About the American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical education and practice and to improve the quality of care for surgical patients. Its achievements have placed it at the forefront of American surgery and have made the College an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 82,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.

About the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) is the largest organization for metabolic and bariatric surgeons in the world, with more than 4,200 members. It is a not-for-profit organization that works to advance the science of metabolic and bariatric surgery. The ASMBS is committed to educating medical professionals and the lay public about metabolic and bariatric surgery, including the associated risks and benefits, as a treatment option for obesity.

SOURCE Covenant High Plains Surgery Center