When you’re committing to any type of major surgery, it’s important to know you are in the most qualified, skilled hands. At Foothills Weight Loss Specialists, our surgeons, Dr. Mark Colquitt and Dr. Jonathan Ray, are dedicated to the safety, comfort and success of their patients. As board certified surgeons and members of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), they provide treatment held to the highest standards. In addition, our practice is affiliated with Fort Sanders Center for Bariatric Surgery in Knoxville, which is a Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) center.

What is MBSAQIP?

MBSAQIP is the national accreditation standard for bariatric surgery centers. Created in 2012, MBSAQIP is the result of combined respective national bariatric surgery accreditation programs of The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). This organization’s mission is to advance safe, high-quality care for bariatric surgery patients. To become an accredited center, a practice must apply and undergo a rigorous peer-evaluated review process.

Why is this important?

For patients, choosing a MBSAQIP center means you will receive compassionate care by physicians who meet bariatric surgery criteria set by both The American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Safety is a primary concern for anyone about to undergo surgery, and an accredited center has an established and verified commitment to patient safety.

Being an accredited center means you are held to the highest bariatric surgical standards and have quality improvement initiatives in place. Accredited centers are required to report their treatment outcomes and participate in regular evaluations of their surgical programs, ensuring they are meeting safety requirements, consistently improving processes, applying multidisciplinary approaches, and implementing standards of care defined by MBSAQIP. Treatment outcomes can be found in the MBSAQIP national registry.

MBSAQIP accreditation goes beyond reporting, to culture, as well. An accredited center must strive for excellence in fostering patient-centered culture. When it comes to bariatric surgery, it is incredibly important that patients feel comfort and respect in and out of the operating room, something that the MBSAQIP promotes and Foothills Weight Loss Specialists passionately upholds.

Learn more about MBSAQIP here.