LEWES – People in Sussex County seeking surgical treatment for weight struggles and its related conditions have Beebe Healthcare as a high-quality choice for receiving care at a nationally accredited program that meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality. Dr. Tarek Waked, Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Medical Director at Beebe Healthcare, announced that Beebe’s Center for Weight Loss Surgery has been accredited as a Comprehensive Center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), a joint Quality Program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). The MBSAQIP Standards, Optimal Resources for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, ensure that metabolic and bariatric patients receive multidisciplinary medical care, which improves patient outcomes and long-term success. MBSAQIP-Accredited centers offer preoperative and postoperative care designed specifically for patients with weight struggles. Beebe Healthcare’s commitment to quality care includes expertly trained staff and experienced physician leadership. The Center for Weight Loss Surgery is tasked with continuous review of surgical data as they continue improving the structure and outcomes expertise necessary to provide safe, efficacious, and high-quality care to all metabolic and bariatric patients. To earn MBSAQIP Accreditation, Beebe Healthcare met essential criteria for staffing, training, facility infrastructure, and patient care pathways, ensuring its ability to support patients with weight struggles. The center also participates in a national data registry that yields semiannual reports on the quality of its surgical outcomes and identifying opportunities for quality improvement. The MBSAQIP Standards, Optimal Resources for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, are published by the ACS and the ASMBS. “Congratulations to our Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Medical Director, Dr. Tarek Waked, and the entire team of staff and nurses who worked hard to get this program accredited,” said Dr. David Tam, President and CEO of Beebe Healthcare said in a statement. “Our vision is for Sussex County to be one of the healthiest counties in the nation and we are proud to offer patients safe, high-quality, and nationally accredited care at our Center for Weight Loss Surgery.” After applying for MBSAQIP Accreditation, centers undergo an extensive site visit by an experienced bariatric surgeon who reviews the center's structure, processes, and clinical outcomes data. Centers that earn accreditation are awarded a specific designation level, depending on how many patients it serves annually, critical care capabilities, the types of procedures provided, and whether it provides care to patients under the age of 18.