St. Joseph Regional Health Center is an Accredited Weight Loss Surgery Center

    Bryan, TX (May 18, 2015) – St. Joseph Regional Health Center’s (SJRHC) Surgical Weight Loss Program recently achieved accreditation from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP). This achievement came as a result of the high-quality, patient-centered care delivered by the physicians and staff at St. Joseph Regional. Surveyors recognized St. Joseph for our quality patient care for surgical weight loss patients. John A Mason, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S., Bryan D. Parrent, M.D., F.A.C.S., Richard D. Alford, M.D., F.A.C.S. and Michael W. Steines, M.D., F.A.C.S with the St. Joseph Surgical Weight Loss Program are recognized and verified as MBSAQIP surgeons, the highest standard in surgical weight loss accreditation. SJRHC’s commitment to quality care starts with highly trained staff and a strong leadership of surgeons. To earn this designation, St. Joseph met essential criteria for staffing, training, facility infrastructure and protocols for care to ensure the ability to support patients with severe obesity. In addition to compassionate and skilled surgeons, the surgical weight loss team at St. Joseph Regional includes all the support needed to plan, prepare for, and walk through the process and into long-term success. The team includes a registered dietitian who can help you develop a realistic plan for your success, a liaison who will help you with everything from making your initial bariatric surgery decision to identifying the mental and emotional aspects of medical weight loss, a nursing team with complete knowledge and extensive experience in surgical weight loss, and insurance experts who know the ins and outs of qualifying for surgical weight loss surgery. “Bariatric surgery requires a level of expert knowledge and resources. At St. Joseph, we’ve committed extensive resources to develop a comprehensive weight loss surgery program with an exceptional success rate. Achieving this accreditation furthers our commitment to providing high-quality, patient-focused care for our surgical weight loss patients,” says John A. Mason, M.D., medical director for the surgical weight loss program at St. Joseph. “With our entire St. Joseph team and our philosophy of patients-first, the result is an unmatched surgical weight loss surgery program.” There are many reasons to consider surgical weight loss surgery –health, friends and family. In the United States alone, around 15.5 million people suffer from severe obesity, according to the National Institutes of Health. Obesity increases the risks of chronic disease and death because of the conditions that are commonly associated with it. Type II diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, among other health risks, all have risk factors that include obesity. Bariatric surgical procedures have proven to be effective in the reduction of comorbid conditions related to severe obesity.* Working with American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, the American College of Surgeons expanded this quality program for bariatric surgery centers so that it can assist bariatric patients in identifying those centers that provide optimal surgical care. ### About St. Joseph Health System Established in 1936, St. Joseph Health System is a faith-based, not-for-profit health system committed to excellence and compassion in caring for the mind, body and spirit while creating healthier communities. St. Joseph Health System is comprised of five hospital facilities across the Brazos Valley, including St. Joseph Regional Health Center, the region’s highest level trauma center. St. Joseph Physician Associates operates more than a dozen primary and specialty care     clinics around the region, offering expert care, closer to home. St. Joseph Health System is a part of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), one of the nation’s largest health systems. For more information, visit st-joseph.org. St. Joseph Health System is a part of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), one of the nation’s largest health systems. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, CHI operates in 18 states and comprises more than 90 hospitals, including four academic medical centers and teaching hospitals; 24 critical-access facilities; community health services organizations; accredited nursing colleges; home health agencies; and other services that span the inpatient and outpatient continuum of 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.