NUMC WEIGHT REDUCTION CENTER OF EXCELLENCE RECEIVES CERTIFICATE OF ACCREDITATION FROM THE MBSAQIP AS A COMPREHENSIVE CENTER
Victor F. Politi, MD, FACP, FACEP Michael B. Mirotznik, Esq.,
President/CEO Chairman Board of Directors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2015
PRESS CONTACT:
Shelley Lotenberg
shelley@numc.edu
516-572-6055
NUMC WEIGHT REDUCTION CENTER OF EXCELLENCE RECEIVES CERTIFICATE OF ACCREDITATION FROM THE MBSAQIP AS A COMPREHENSIVE CENTER
East Meadow, NY. May 15, 2015. Victor F. Politi, MD, FACP, FACEP, NuHealth/NUMC President/CEO, announces that the Nassau University Medical Center has received a Certificate of Accreditation from the Committee on Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP). NUMC’s Weight Reduction Center of Excellence has met the criteria for designation as a Comprehensive Center, in accordance with MBSAQIP Standards, with an expiration date of August 30, 2017. The NUMC Weight Reduction Center (Bariatric) which was surveyed on March 6, 2014 through the American College of Surgeons, met all vigorous standards and requirements to maintain certification, leading to the Certificate of Accreditation.
“Congratulations to the staff in the department of surgery who helped to make this remarkable achievement possible with their dedication to excellence. We are proud of what it means to our bariatric patients who can be confident that our comprehensive Weight Reduction Center has met all standards and requirements and that they will receive the highest level of care during their weight loss surgery stay,” said Dr. Politi.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health recommends bariatric surgery for obese people with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 40, and for people with BMI 35 and serious coexisting medical conditions such as diabetes. Bariatric surgery is not a “magic pill” – to achieve significant, permanent weight loss a patient must be prepared to exercise and follow a restricted diet (the level of restriction varies with the type of surgical procedure) for the rest of his/her life.
Dr. Glenn Faust, chairman of the department of medicine at NUMC and Dr. Venkatesh Sasthakonar, director of its Weight Reduction Center, added: “Receiving designation as a Comprehensive Center by the MBSAQIP is a significant deal for our hospital and for our patients, meaning that it is the highest level of certification earned by meeting standards for the most complex bariatric cases. We are proud to be part of an elite group that has achieved this recognition.”
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NuHealth is a Long Island health care organization delivering essential medical care and disease and lifestyle management to everyone at every stage of life. Also known as Nassau Health Care Corporation, NuHealth is a public benefit corporation managing the operations of Nassau Medical Center, A. Holly Patterson Extended Care and a network of Family Health Centers that bring primary and specialty care out into the community. By emphasizing wellness, cultural sensitivity and collaborative efforts with the North Shore-LIJ Health System, NuHealth is working to make good care more affordable and easier to access.
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