Conemaugh Health System Re-accredited by the Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery Accreditation & Quality Improvement Program
February 15, 2022

Patients seeking surgical treatment for obesity and its related conditions have a high-quality choice for receiving care at a nationally accredited program that meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality in the greater Johnstown area. Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center announced today that its bariatric surgery center has been re-accredited as a Comprehensive Center 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.
“We are trained to meet the complete needs of our patients by providing a continuum of safe, high-quality weight loss care and support,” D’Arcy Duke, MD, Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Director said. “Metabolic and bariatric surgery increases a patient’s life span and their quality of life while reducing health problems and risks such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. Our integrated team works very hard to maintain a high level of excellence consistent with the MBSAQIP standards.”
Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center’s commitment to quality care begins with expertly trained staff and the leadership of an experienced bariatric surgeon. The program is tasked with continuous review of surgical data as they continue improving the structure and outcomes expertise necessary to provide safe, efficacious, and high-quality care to all metabolic and bariatric patients.
The patient’s integrated care team includes the bariatric surgeon, a RN program coordinator, a Registered Dietitian to help patients develop and maintain appropriate eating plans, behavioral health support to help prepare patients for the lifetime changes that accompany surgery, and the patient’s primary care physician.
Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center offers weight loss surgery procedures including gastric bypass and gastric sleeve. These procedures are performed laparoscopically or with advanced robotics to minimize scaring and accelerate healing. Bariatric surgery patients, on average, lose about one-third of their initial weight in approximately 12-18 months. Studies show that after 10-14 years, 50% of the excess weight loss is maintained. For this reason, the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health state that metabolic and bariatric surgery may be the only treatment option that can produce long-term weight loss when other treatment options have failed.
To earn MBSAQIP Accreditation, Conemaugh Health System 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 yields semiannual reports on the quality of its surgical outcomes and identifying opportunities for quality improvement. The MBSAQIP Standards, Optimal Resources for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, are published by the ACS and the ASMBS.
After applying for MBSAQIP Accreditation, centers undergo an extensive site visit by an experienced bariatric surgeon who reviews the center's structure, processes, and clinical outcomes data. Centers that earn accreditation are awarded a specific designation level, depending on how many patients it serves annually, critical care capabilities, the types of procedures provided, and whether it provides care to patients under the age of 18.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates about 93 million adults in the United States are affected by obesity and that number continues to increase. The disease of obesity increases the risks of morbidity and mortality because of the diseases and conditions that are commonly associated with it, such as type II diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, among other health risks. Metabolic and bariatric surgery has proven to be effective in the reduction of comorbid conditions related to obesity.* Working together, the ACS and the ASMBS have developed accreditation standards for metabolic and bariatric surgery to assist patients with obesity in identifying centers that provide optimal patient care.
*Buchwald H, Avidor Y, Braunwald E, et al. Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA. 2004;292(14):1724-1737. DOI:10.1001/jama.292.14.1724.