The Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted in the unified accreditation program between the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) as outlined in the Resource Manual Optimal Care for the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Patient 2014 standards document. 

New centers (not currently participating in the MBSAQIP) seeking status as a MBSAQIP Accredited…

Read More

The mission of the IH Clinical Issues and Guidelines Committee is to create evidence-based guidelines and position statements with focus on clinical issues related to the integrated multidisciplinary team, as well as issues related to the individual Integrated Health disciplines. Its goal is to enhance the safety, quality and outcomes of bariatric and metabolic surgical patient care.

connect recently explored the work of the committee with Committee Chair and IHEC Liaison, Pamela Davis, RN, CBN,…

Read More

ASMBS is more than 4,000 members strong, a reflection of the growing importance of the organization and the value it continually strives to bring to its diverse membership. connect asked ASMBS Membership Committee Chair, John Kelly, MD, chief of General Surgery at UMass Memorial Medical Center, about the work of the committee and what it does to serve current members and attract new ones.

Read the full interview on connect

Read More

The mission of the ASMBS Integrated Health Support Group committee is to promote the development of support groups in the care of bariatric surgical patients. Through the development and distribution of resources, including a support group leader manual, the seven-member committee is helping nurses, bariatric coordinators and support group leaders meet the needs of their patients.

connect recently interviewed Committee Chair, Stephen Ritz, PhD, Licensed Psychologist at Decatur Psychotherapy Group and its Co-Chair, Kellie Armstrong,…

Read More

David Provost, MD, FACS, chair of the ASMBS Public Education Committee believes while progress has been made in educating the public and obesity and bariatric surgery, much work remains. The ASMBS Public Education Committee is charged with doing some of that work, which includes providing content for the new ASMBS website, creating patient education materials and increasing awareness of the safety and effectiveness of metabolic and bariatric surgery.

connect recently interviewed Dr. Provost, medical director…

Read More

Recent headlines about children as young as two-years-old getting bariatric surgery have grabbed attention, but have not changed the position of the ASMBS and its Pediatric Surgery Committee. It issued Best Practice Guidelines in 2012 and nothing since then has changed the consensus on the risks and benefits of bariatric surgery in adolescents and the criteria for patient selection.

connect recently interviewed Kirk Reichard, MD, FACS, FAAP, ASMBS Pediatric Surgery Committee Chair, about the controversial…

Read More

The ASMBS Research Committee was formed to advance the science and understanding of metabolic and bariatric surgery through research. It is accomplishing its goal by evaluating the increasing number of grant requests from ASMBS members and awarding ASMBS Foundation research dollars to the most promising studies and investigators.

connect recently interviewed ASMBS Research Committee Chair Dr. Ranjan Sudan, Vice Chair of Education, Department of Surgery at Duke University, to learn more about the changing nature…

Read More

Friday, July 26, 2013

Louis Jacques, MD Director, Coverage and Analysis Group CMS/OCSQ/Coverage and Analysis Group 7500 Security Blvd. Mailstop C1 -09-06 Baltimore, MD 21244

Re: CAG-00250R3 (National Coverage Analysis (NCA) for Bariatric Surgery for the Treatment of Morbid Obesity- Facility Certification Requirement) 

Dear Dr. Jacques,

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and American College of Surgeons along with all the undersigned professional societies have reviewed the Centers for Medicare and…

Read More