Bariatric organizations qualify for designation as an American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence (BSCOE) when they can document to the Surgical Review Committee (SRC) that they have the resources to perform safe bariatric surgery and they have excellent short and long-term outcomes. These indices document process and emphasize results. Excellent bariatric surgery requires competent surgeons and well-prepared facilities. 

Application for designation as a ASMBS Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence is voluntary. The center must begin the process by first applying for Provisional Status when they can demonstrate they have the resources to provide safe and effective bariatric surgery. The Provisional Status application is reviewed by the Bariatric Surgery Review Committee and depending on the information provided, centers receive one of the following designations – Approved, Denied, Monitoring Status or Pending Status. 

Provisional Status participants may apply for Full Approval when they can demonstrate they have the experience to provide safe and effective bariatric surgery based upon a review of their outcomes. When the Full Approval application is received, a site inspection is conducted by the SRC. Site inspections are conducted by trained personnel who tour the facilities, evaluate the center and its quality of care, conduct interviews and conduct random chart reviews. 

So how can you be sure your center is ready for a site inspection by the SRC? Stevens & Lee’s Bariatric Pre-SRC Site Visit Program can help. Our trained Risk Management professionals will visit your center and conduct a “mock” site visit based on actual inspections conducted by the SRC.  

Our mock site visit will verify that the information you plan to submit for your Full Approval application is accurate and confirms that the requirements for Full Approval as a Center of Excellence has been met. We will also provide you with a checklist of materials that SRC site inspectors typically request, and we will review those materials with you to be sure they fall in accordance with Center of Excellence standards. In addition, we will conduct interviews and review random charts – all of the things that will actually happen during the SRC site inspection.  

After we conduct the mock site visit, we will provide you with recommendations to help you prepare for the actual SRC site inspection.

Faced with these issues, the leadership of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) identified the need to recognize the centers that perform well and to help surgeons and hospitals reach optimal levels of performance. The objective of the SRC is to encourage centers to become centers of excellence, not to limit bariatric surgery to just a few, well-known centers.

The objective of Stevens & Lee’s Bariatric Pre-SRC Site Visit Program is to help you become an American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence.

For more information, please contact James W. Saxton, Esq. at
717-399-6639 or jws@stevenslee.com.