ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Providence Alaska Medical Center (PAMC) has received reaccreditation as a Bariatric Center of Excellence through the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP).
The reaccreditation ensures Alaskans will continue to receive high-quality care for metabolic and bariatric surgeries, including laparoscopic and robotic sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, and duodenal switch procedures.
These surgeries are designed to help patients with a long-term weight-loss solution and have been shown to help improve or resolve many obesity-related conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and more.
PAMC was the first and continues to be the only Bariatric Center of Excellence in Alaska. The hospital originally received accreditation in September of 2018 and has achieved reaccreditation both times it has been eligible.
According to a 2023 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 35% of adults in Alaska are obese. MBSAQIP is the only nationwide accreditation for surgery programs that are committed to quality improvement and patient safety for metabolic and bariatric surgery.
The MBSAQIP program — led by The American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery — awards accreditation to institutions that meet the highest standards of care for bariatric patients through a rigorous reporting and inspection process. PAMC works collaboratively with local bariatric surgeons to ensure high-quality care is delivered to patients.
Being an accredited program is also important because many insurers require patients to have bariatric surgery at MBSAQIP-verified centers.
Accreditation confirms that PAMC is fully equipped to care for bariatric patients, providing certain types of equipment designed specifically for these patients, as well as providing training for its staff on subjects such as bariatric surgery, post-op care and nutrition, obesity sensitivity training, proper moving of obese patients and recognizing the signs and symptoms of complications resulting from bariatric surgery.
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