For more than 20 years, St. Charles’ bariatrics program has been consistently recognized for its high quality of care, commitment to improvement and dedication to safety.
And that’s not changing, even as new providers join the team – bringing with them openings for new patients, it should be noted.
“This is a great example of teamwork across practices, because I think we’re really all just focused on making sure the quality measures that we track never dip below where they’re supposed to be,” said Dr. Stephen Archer, a Summit Health surgeon who is also employed by St. Charles as medical director of the program. “It’s an arrangement that has worked well over the years, to the benefit of the community.”
Bariatrics is the study and treatment of obesity, and bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for obesity “by far,” Archer said.
“It changes the anatomy of the stomach to help patients have different sensations of being full or hungry,” he said. “That can lead to prolonged and sustained weight loss of 20% to 30% of their total body weight, so a 300-pound person could expect to lose 100 pounds in the first year, for instance.”
Archer has been doing bariatric surgery at St. Charles since the early 2000s. For that entire time, the program has maintained what’s known as Comprehensive Center accreditation from the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, which work together to advance safe, high-quality bariatric surgical care.
“(Accreditation) formally acknowledges your commitment to providing and supporting quality improvement and patient safety efforts for metabolic and bariatric surgery patients,” according to the organizations. “As an accredited program you have demonstrated that your center meets the needs of your patients by providing multidisciplinary, high-quality, patient-centered care.”
For Archer, the recognition is not just a validation of the bariatrics team’s efforts, it’s also a strong indicator of sustained quality within the program and safety for potential patients.
“We’re evaluated through an on-site visit every three years, where they make sure the hospital has the right protocols, equipment, staffing and education in place, and that we are monitoring the quality of care patients receive,” Archer said. “They use stringent criteria and we’ve always passed with flying colors, so there’s reason to believe that St. Charles is as safe as anywhere else in the country for bariatric surgery. That’s a great accomplishment.”
The program is growing, too, with the addition of two new surgeons in the past year, both of whom are actively taking on new patients:
- Dr. Randy Kjorstad, who specializes in minimally invasive and robotic approaches to surgery, including bariatrics.
- Dr. Shaan Akhtar, a board-certified general surgeon and a fellowship-trained minimally invasive, robotic and bariatric surgeon.
To make an appointment, ask questions or learn more about your weight-loss options, visit our website, fill out the “Contact our bariatric team” form or call 541-548-7761.
