Albany Med’s Bariatric Surgery Program Earns Highest Accreditation Status
ALBANY, N.Y., June 15, 2010—Albany Medical Center’s bariatric surgery program has been reaccredited as a “Level 1a” facility by the Bariatric Surgery Center Network (BSCN) Accreditation Program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Albany Med’s program is one of only 11 in New York State, and the only program in the Capital Region, to earn this status—the highest level of hospital achievement in bariatric care.
Level 1a designation means that Albany Medical Center is fully capable of supporting a bariatric surgery care program and that its institutional performance meets the requirements outlined by the ACS BSCN Accreditation Program, including managing the most challenging and complex patients with optimal opportunity for safe and effective outcome. Level 1a status is often awarded to centers with a high volume of patients.
“Accreditation not only reinforces our commitment to providing the highest level of bariatric care to our patients, but it also speaks to the expertise and dedication of the program’s physicians, nurses and staff who deliver exceptional care day in and day out beginning with pre-hospital care through postoperative care and treatment,” said Steven Stain, M.D., chair of the department of surgery at Albany Medical College and surgeon in chief at Albany Medical Center Hospital.
Established in 1984, Albany Med’s bariatric program offers all three surgical weight loss procedures: traditional gastric bypass, minimally invasive gastric bypass (including minimally invasive robotic surgery), and minimally invasive gastric banding. The program utilizes a multidisciplinary and humanist approach to care for patients. Six months before surgery, patients are required to consult with a physician, dietician or nutritionist and begin a reduced calorie diet as well as an exercise program. Patients also begin a behavior modification program by a trained health professional. These interventions continue after surgery in an effort to apply a comprehensive approach to the lifestyle change the surgery requires. A weekly support group is also available for patients before and after surgery.
Albany Medical Center is northeastern New York’s only academic health sciences center. It consists of Albany Medical College, Albany Medical Center Hospital and the Albany Medical Center Foundation, Inc. Additional information about Albany Medical Center can be found at www.amc.edu.
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Sue Ford
