Roper St. Francis Bariatric Surgery and Medical Weight Loss program earns national reaccreditation

Roper St. Francis Bariatric Surgery and Medical Weight Loss has earned national reaccreditation for its exemplary surgical and non-surgical treatment options.

This is the first reaccreditation of the program since its 2019 designation as a Comprehensive Center with Obesity Medicine Qualifications from the American College of Surgeons.

The accreditation is awarded in conjunction with the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), and Roper St. Francis Healthcare was one of the first two programs in the country to earn the new certification.

“This shows our commitment to excellence and speaks to the exceptional quality of care our patients are receiving,” said Dr. Jeffrey DiLisi, president and chief executive officer of Roper St. Francis Healthcare.

Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital is the only facility in the state with this kind of accreditation. The Comprehensive Center with Obesity Medicine Qualifications accreditation requires the hospital to perform more than 50 bariatric surgical procedures annually as well as meet certain standards, such as employing an obesity medicine director and offering obesity medicine services.

“We want to make sure we have the best treatment available to our patients, and this demonstrates we are leading the country in our best practices for both surgical and non-surgical options,” said Dr. Ken Mitchell, medical director of the bariatric program.

The hospital earned the broader certification in 2019 after adding Dr. John Cleek, medical director of the obesity medicine program, to its existing team of Mitchell and Surgeon Dr. Bryan Thomas.

Dr. Cleek manages patients who elect non-surgical weight loss treatment and instead focus on their overall health and wellness. These programs include a body composition analysis, a metabolic analysis and one-on-one consultation to develop individualized care plans.

The hospital’s second obesity medicine physician, Dr. Sarah Minter, joined the team in January of this year.

Anyone interested in learning more about Roper St. Francis Healthcare bariatric services can click here.