"We believe this designation reflects the quality of our surgical weight loss program," says William L. Gilbert, Deaconess chief executive officer. "Our bariatric team is dedicated to meeting the rigorous quality and outcome demands of the BSCOE program and we’re proud to provide this service to residents of the Inland Northwest."

The Deaconess Medical Center and Rockwood Weight Loss Surgery teams have been working diligently toward earning the hospital’s BSCOE designation since June 2010. The first bariatric surgery was performed at Deaconess in November 2010. Since then, Deaconess has demonstrated its expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding a wide set of stringent criteria, performing a set amount of bariatric surgeries with positive outcomes and successfully completing an on-site evaluation by a Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) team. Along with streamlined clinical pathways, protocols and outcomes data, BSCOE designated programs require patients to receive pre-surgery education, nutrition guidance, counseling and other health services necessary for maintaining successful lifestyle changes. The Deaconess and Rockwood teams provide a full range of follow-up care and support groups for patients who undergo weight loss surgery.

While the BSCOE designation is new to Deaconess, the three Rockwood bariatric surgeons practicing at Deaconess have held that high distinction since January 2007. Over the past ten years, Andrew Bright, M.D., Mathew Rawlins, M.D. and Jonathan Spitz, M.D. have completed more than 1,600 bariatric procedures. Together the goal is to provide patients with the tools, education and surgical support they need to lose weight safely and effectively, helping them maintain a healthy lifestyle in the long term.

The investment in establishing a BSCOE program demonstrates Deaconess Medical Center’s ongoing commitment to providing superior team-centered bariatric surgical care. "We’re excited to bring our expertise in weight loss surgery to Deaconess," says Rockwood Bariatric Surgeon Andrew Bright, M.D., Medical Director of the Deaconess BSCOE. "Together our teams have a proven track record on patient safety and we consistently deliver quality care. For appropriate patients, weight loss surgery can greatly reduce or eliminate potentially life-threatening diseases that are often exacerbated by morbid obesity, including high blood pressure, diabetes and sleep apnea."

The next Weight Loss Surgery Informational Session will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at the Deaconess Health and Education Center, 910 W. 5th Avenue, Room 268. These free monthly sessions usually last about two hours and cover a variety of topics, including insurance pre-authorization, pre-operative and post-operative nutrition, surgical options and post-surgery lifestyle changes. To register for the session, please call (509) 755-5120. For more information about the bariatric surgical procedures available at Deaconess, please visit www.deaconessmc.com or www.rockwoodclinic.com. Click on the "Weight Loss Surgery" links for comprehensive details.

The ASMBS is the largest society for bariatric surgery in the world. With its support and vision, the SRC was formed in 2004 as a nonprofit corporation to advance the safety, efficacy and efficiency of bariatric and metabolic surgical care. On August 3, 2011, SRC granted Deaconess Medical Center a full three-year BSCOE designation.