FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 1, 2007
CONTACT: Joyce Brennan
Media Relations
Southcoast Health System
Phone: 508-961-5270
Fax: 508-961-5876
Pgr: 508-387-9605
brennanj@southcoast.org
www.southcoast.org/news/releases/
Tobey Hospital is recognized for high-quality care in bariatric surgery
The American Society for Bariatric Surgery designates Tobey as a Center of Excellence
WAREHAM, Mass. — Tobey Hospital, the Wareham site of Southcoast Hospitals
Group, has been named a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society
for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS). The ASBS Center of Excellence designation recognizes
surgical programs with a demonstrated track record of favorable outcomes in bariatric
surgery.
The laparoscopic weight loss surgery program at Tobey Hospital is a communitybased program designed to incorporate a thorough approach to weight loss surgery. All of the
patient’s care before, during and after gastric bypass surgery is coordinated by a team of
health professionals to ensure patients receive safe and quality care that promotes long-term
good health.
To earn a Center of Excellence designation, Tobey Hospital underwent a series of site
inspections during which all aspects of the program’s surgical processes were closely
examined and data on health outcomes was collected. Tobey Hospital and other centers
receiving the Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence designation agree to continue to share
information on clinical pathways, protocols and outcomes data.
“We are very proud to be named an ASBS Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence.
Tobey Hospital offers a comprehensive program that exceeds standards both preoperatively
and postoperatively,” said Rayford Kruger, MD, FACS, Gastric Bypass Program Director
and a trained gastric bypass surgeon at Tobey Hospital.
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February 1, 2007
“Gastric bypass surgery is a lifetime commitment. Our patients must attend a free
informational session outlining the risks and benefits before being considered for the
program and we require patients to lose approximately 10 to 15 percent of excess weight as
part of the extensive preoperative teaching program,” Dr. Kruger said. “Patients are also
required to undergo medical counseling and engage in health and lifestyle practices that are
designed to reduce co-morbidities to whatever extent possible. They must also attend post
operative support groups and must be committed to long term postoperative medical followup. This assures that our patients receive the most comprehensive and complete care that will
promote long-term good health before and after the surgery.”
According to a study released in July 2005 by the Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality, the number of U.S. bariatric surgeries more than quadrupled between 1998 and
2002 from 13,386 to 71,733. Faced with clinical evidence that the most experienced and
best-run bariatric surgery programs have by far the lowest rates of complications, the ASBS
Centers of Excellence program was created to “recognize bariatric surgery centers that
perform well and to help surgeons and hospitals continue to improve the quality and safety of
care provided.”
Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), an organization dedicated to pursuing surgical
excellence, formulates and establishes the rigorous standards with which Tobey Hospital and
other Centers of Excellence must comply. SRC thoroughly inspects and evaluates each
candidate for designation and, upon review, recommends approval of designation for those
physicians and facilities whose practices and outcomes meet the stringent demands set forth
by SRC for ASBS.
Obesity has become a significant national health issue, with the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) reporting that 64 percent of all U.S. adults are
overweight or obese. Morbid obesity is closely correlated with a number of serious
conditions that severely undermine the health of overweight patients, including heart disease,
high blood pressure and diabetes.
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Tobey Hospital is recognized for high-quality care in bariatric surgery
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February 1, 2007
Bariatric surgery, when performed correctly, can help obese patients manage these
conditions. By definition, surgeons with ASBS Center of Excellence designations practice
only top-quality care, ensuring efficacy of the procedure with each patient to the best of their
abilities.
More information on the weight loss surgery program at Tobey can be found at
www.southcoast.org/weightloss/.
About American Society for Bariatric Surgery
As a pioneering organization, designating Centers of Excellence based on top-quality
care and efficacious outcomes, the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, with the help of
SRC, is working to align the common interests of patients, surgeons, hospitals and insurers,
all of whom suffer when complications develop after surgical care.
The American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS) is the largest society for this
specialty in the world. Founded in 1983, foremost American surgeons have formed the
society’s leadership and have established an excellent organization with educational and
support programs for surgeons and allied health professionals. The purpose of the society is
to advance the art and science of bariatric surgery by continued encouragement of its
members to: pursue investigations in both the clinic and the laboratory; interchange ideas,
information and experience pertaining to bariatric surgery; promote guidelines for ethical
patient selection and care; develop educational programs for physicians, paramedical
persons, and lay people; and promote outcome studies and quality assurance. For more
information about ASBS, please visit www.asbs.org.
About Surgical Review Corporation
Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) is an independent not-for-profit organization
dedicated to surgical excellence. SRC’s mission is to promote the delivery of surgical care
with the highest levels of efficacy, efficiency, and safety possible. For more information
about SRC or to download a Center of Excellence application, please visit
www.surgicalreview.org.
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February 1, 2007
About Southcoast Health System
Southcoast Health System, a not-for-profit charitable organization, is a community
based health delivery system with multiple access points, offering an integrated continuum of
advanced health services throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and East Bay, Rhode
Island. It includes Southcoast Hospitals Group, formed in 1996 from the merger of Charlton
Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in
Wareham.
Southcoast has more than 40 ancillary facilities, including the Southcoast Health Van,
home health care, hospice and infusion services, numerous outpatient medical services, an
assisted living facility and a wellness center. For more information visit
www.southcoast.org.
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