Tower Health receives accreditation for obesity care

Reading-based Tower Health’s bariatric surgery center has been accredited as a Comprehensive Center with Adolescent and Obesity Medicine Qualifications. 

The accreditation is by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), a joint Quality Program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).  

The MBSAQIP Standards, Optimal Resources for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, ensure that metabolic and bariatric patients receive multidisciplinary medical care, which improves patient outcomes and long-term success. MBSAQIP-Accredited centers offer preoperative and postoperative care designed specifically for patients with obesity, according to a Tower Health statement. 

“This most recent accreditation marks Reading Hospital as the first metabolic and bariatric program in the state of Pennsylvania to receive accreditation in all three areas a Comprehensive Center with Adolescent Surgery and Obesity Medicine Qualifications,” said Dr.Stephan Myers, chief, Division of Bariatric Surgery at Reading Hospital and Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery director at Tower Health Weight Loss Surgery and Wellness Center 

To earn MBSAQIP Accreditation, Reading Hospital met essential criteria for staffing, training, facility infrastructure and patient care pathways, ensuring its ability to support patients with obesity. The center also participates in a national data registry that measures the quality of its surgical outcomes and identifies opportunities for quality improvement. 

 “I’d like to congratulate everyone at the Weight Management Center,” said P. Sue Perrotty, Tower Health president and CEO. “I’d also like to recognize Dr. Myers who tirelessly works to advocate for his patients, his colleagues, the program, and the expansion into the pediatric arena. This accreditation is outstanding news for Tower Health and for all the people who benefit from our programs.” 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates about 93 million adults in the United States are affected by obesity. Obesity increases the risks of morbidity and mortality because of commonly associated diseases and conditions, such as type II diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, among other health risks.