Northwest Hospital Achieves National Accreditation from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program
Randallstown, MD - Northwest Hospital has earned national accreditation as a leading medical provider for patients seeking surgical treatment for severe obesity and its related conditions. Northwest Hospital was recently awarded the Comprehensive Center designation 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 multidisciplinary care, not just a surgical procedure, which improves patient outcomes and long-term success. To become accredited, centers must offer preoperative and postoperative care designed specifically for their severely obese patients.
"As a Center of Excellence, the LifeBridge Health Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery Center and our team members are proud to earn this prestigious designation," says Christina Li, M.D., FACS, division head of minimally invasive surgery at Northwest Hospital. "To be recognized for our commitment to helping our patients make meaningful, lasting changes in their lives by providing quality care through training, continuing education and implementing best practices means a lot to us."
To earn the MBSAQIP designation, Northwest Hospital met essential criteria for staffing, training and facility infrastructure as well as protocols for care for ensuring the ability to support patients with severe obesity. The hospital also participates in a national data registry that puts together semi-annual reports on the quality of its processes and outcomes as well as identifying opportunities for continuous quality improvement.
Centers hoping to earn MBSAQIP accreditation undergo an extensive on-site evaluation by an experienced bariatric surgeon. The surgeon reviews everything from the center's structure to its processes and clinical outcomes data. Centers are awarded specific designations depending on how many patients are served annually, the types of procedures provided, and whether care is provided for patients under age 18.
In the United States, approximately 15.5 million people are severely obese, according to the National Institutes of Health, and the numbers continue to increase.
About LifeBridge Health
Northwest Hospital is part of LifeBridge Health, one of the largest providers of health services in Maryland. In addition to Northwest Hospital, LifeBridge Health consists of Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Carroll Hospital, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, LifeBridge Health & Fitness, hundreds of primary care and specialty physicians throughout Maryland, and many affiliated health-related partners. LifeBridge Health has the technology, skills and proficiency of an academic system with the warmth and personal attention of community hospitals. More information is available at lbhstaging22.lifebridgehealth.org.
About the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery