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Trinity achieves national accreditation

WINS ACCREDITATION — The bariatric surgery center at Trinity Health System has achieved national accreditation, Dr. Joseph Colella, shown here with his staff, has announced.

STEUBENVILLE –Patients seeking surgical treatment for severe obesity and its related conditions can now receive treatment at a nationally accredited program that meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality of care in the Ohio Valley region.

The bariatric surgical center at Trinity Health System has been accredited as a bariatric center under the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, according to Dr. Joseph Colella, metabolic and bariatric surgery director at Trinity has announced. The accreditation comes from a joint program of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

The standards ensure that bariatric surgical patients receive a multidisciplinary program, which improves patient outcomes and long-term success. The center offers preoperative and postoperative care designed specifically for severely obese patients.

“We are extremely proud to have received full and complete accreditation as a comprehensive center for weight loss surgery by the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Our comprehensive program offers the very latest in minimally invasive and robotic surgical technology to give our patients the safest operation possible with follow-up care that is second to none,” Colella said.

“Trinity’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,” Colella continued.

To earn the designation, Trinity met 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.

“Trinity’s bariatric program has grown dramatically over the past few years and has exhibited outstanding outcomes. This accreditation is due to the hard work and care our bariatric team demonstrates every day, “ said Matt Grimshaw, Trinity’s president and chief executive officer.

After submitting an application, centers seeking the accreditation undergo a site visit by an experienced bariatric surgeon, who reviews the center’s structure, process, and clinical outcomes data. A centers is awarded a specific designation depending on how many patients it serves annually, the type of procedures provided and whether it provides care for patients under 18.

In the United States, approximately 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. Metabolic and bariatric surgical procedures have proven to be effective in the reduction of co-morbid conditions related to severe obesity.

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