For Hub City Times

MARSHFIELD — Patients seeking surgical treatment for severe obesity and its related conditions have a high-quality choice in central Wisconsin.

Ministry Saint Joseph’s Hospital’s bariatric surgical center has been 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 (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

The MBSAQIP standards ensure that bariatric surgical patients receive a multidisciplinary program, not just a surgical procedure, which improves patient outcomes and long-term success. Accredited centers offer preoperative and postoperative care designed specifically for severely obese patients.

“Our commitment to quality care begins with appropriately trained staff and the leadership of our surgeons who participate in meetings throughout the year to review its outcomes,” said Dr. Peter Stamas Jr., vice president of medical affairs at Ministry Saint Joseph’s. “They seek continuous improvement to enhance the structure, process, and outcomes of the center.”

To earn the MBSAQIP designation, the Ministry Saint Joseph’s center had to meet essential criteria for staffing, training, 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 improvement.

After submitting an application, a center seeking MBSAQIP accreditation undergoes an extensive site visit by an experienced bariatric surgeon who reviews the center’s structure, process, and clinical outcomes data. A center is 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.

As the result of the on-site survey, Marshfield Clinic bariatric surgeons on staff at Ministry Saint Joseph’s Dr. Vijaya Nirujogi and Dr. Julio Bird earned the distinction of MBSAQIP verified surgeons. Nirujogi serves as medical director for the program, which has been accredited since 2010. Ministry Saint Joseph’s is one of just 10 hospitals in Wisconsin to earn accreditation as a comprehensive center.

According to the National Institutes of Health, around 15.5 million people suffer from severe obesity in the United States, 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.

Working with ASMBS, the ACS expanded its quality program so that it can assist bariatric patients in identifying centers that provide optimal surgical care.