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GBMC’s Bariatric Surgery Program

Named “Center of Excellence”

BALTIMORE – December 9, 2005 – Greater Baltimore Medical Center and its Comprehensive Obesity Management Program (COMP), under the medical direction of David von Rueden, M.D., has been named an American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS) Center of Excellence.  This designation recognizes programs that are comprehensive in nature and demonstrate a track record of positive outcomes in bariatric surgery.

“This is a significant accomplishment in the field of bariatric surgery and another indicator of the quality of clinical care provided at GBMC,” Dr. von Rueden said.  Added Bob West, administrative director, “Earning designation as an ASBS Center of Excellence indicates we’ve met the rigorous criteria and follow the best practices as defined by experts in the field.”

According to a July 2005 study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the number of bariatric surgeries in the United States more than quadrupled between 1998 and 2002 – from nearly 13,400 procedures to more than 71,700.  Faced with clinical evidence that the most experienced and best-run bariatric surgery programs have 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.

To earn the Center of Excellence designation, GBMC and COMP had to document at least 125 bariatric surgery cases in a 12-month period, and underwent a two-staged application process and an extensive site inspection during which all aspects of the program’s clinical and surgical processes were closely examined and data on health outcomes were collected.

“It was very important to be able to demonstrate our multi-disciplinary team approach to caring for bariatric patients,” said West, noting when launching its bariatrics program, GBMC followed criteria established by ASBS.  In addition to a specially-trained clinical staff (surgeon, operating room nurses, nurse practitioner and nutritionist), COMP offers exercise and wellness programs, extensive patient education via pre and post-operation support groups, psychiatric consultation, pulmonary consultation and sleep studies.

GBMC opened its COMP program in February 2004 and to date has completed more than 200 laparoscopic gastric bypass and laparoscopic gastric banding procedures.

Founded in 1983, the American Society of Bariatric Surgery (www.asbs.org) is the largest society of bariatric specialists in the world. 

About GBMC
GBMC includes Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC), Central Maryland’s leading community hospital; Hospice of Baltimore, which provides comfort and care to patients with life-limiting illnesses; the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Community Health Center, which offers comprehensive health and family services to the residents of East Baltimore; and the GBMC Foundation, which supports the GBMC mission by managing fundraising efforts.  The 300-bed Medical Center, located on a beautiful suburban campus, serves nearly 22,000 inpatients annually and provides approximately 50,000 emergency room visits. For more information, go to www.gbmc.org.

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