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Beebe Healthcare’s Center for Weight Loss Surgery Earns Key Quality Designation from Premier Health Insurance Carriers

Beebe Healthcare’s Center for Weight Loss Surgery is making its mark as a regional leader in the delivery of comprehensive bariatric services, with quality and excellence in clinical practice recognized as key program attributes. The weight loss surgery team has earned quality designations from three premier health insurance carriers:

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery This designation is earned by facilities that undergo a rigorous application and review process, with focus on data pertaining to patient volumes, complication rates, readmission rates, overall quality, and patient outcomes. This designation is important for patients who are interested in pursuing surgical weight loss and are Blue Cross Blue Shield policy holders; it limits out of pocket costs associated with care.
  • Optum Health Center of Excellence for Bariatric Surgery Optum’s Center of Excellence networks are the gold standard in complex healthcare. This designation recognizes practices that deliver safe, successful, and cost-effective treatment options. Every year, Optum conducts an extensive evaluation process of medical centers throughout the country, with focus on fact rather than perception. The goal is to create a network of medical centers that deliver the highest quality care with focus on meeting patient needs and exceeding expectations.
  • Aetna Institute of Quality for Bariatric Surgery Aetna recognizes that complex care comes with a line of complex decisions that must be made. Its Institute of Quality aims to guide patients in choosing a healthcare facility that delivers the highest quality care, in a cost-efficient manner. Evaluations and decisions are based on number of procedures performed, success rates, cost efficiency, readmission rates, and post-operative complication rates.

“Delaware has one the highest obesity rates in the nation,” said Tarek Waked, MD, who leads Beebe’s Center for Weight Loss Surgery. “It’s one of the reasons we have taken such a comprehensive approach in building and growing our bariatric program here at Beebe. It supports our community and provides a service that is truly needed. Our ability to positively impact these statistics is greatly expanded with these important designations from several primary insurance carriers.”

Collectively, the designations from Blue Cross Blue Shield, Optum Health, and Aetna confirm that Beebe’s Center for Weight Loss Surgery is meeting or exceeding national standards. Additionally, they affirm that the program has solid systems in place to continuously improve quality of care, which correlates directly with both patient outcomes and patient experience.

Patients who turn to Beebe’s Center for Weight Loss Surgery are cared for by Dr. Waked and surgeon Christopher Manieri, DO, along with Kimberly Hyatt, MPH, RD, LDN, CSOWM, bariatric program manager and dietitian. The team is committed to guiding each patient on a personalized journey of weight loss that extends far beyond the day of surgery.

“We stress that bariatric surgery is a tool to support weight loss, for patients who are committed to making important lifestyle changes to optimize their health and wellness,” said Dr. Manieri. “We work with patients before and after surgery and guide them every step of the way. We provide invaluable support so they can achieve their goals and maintain a healthy weight for the rest of their lives.”

It is common for patients who undergo bariatric surgery at Beebe to not only achieve their weight loss goals, but also to see marked improvement in their overall health and wellness, as a direct result of that support. Issues ranging from blood pressure and diabetes to sleep apnea and joint pain are often minimized or eliminated, as patients lose weight.

“We practice with an understanding that every patient is unique, and that individualized care is crucial as we assess each patient’s overall health and the impact our services can have,” said Hyatt. “It’s not about how many surgeries you perform; instead, it’s about how well you do them. The designations we have earned from these major insurance carriers make it clear that our program centers around quality and the optimization of patient outcomes and experience. We are incredibly proud of these recognitions.”

Patients interested in learning more are encouraged to call 302-260-7360 to register for an informational seminar, or to schedule an initial consultation with a bariatric surgeon. Appointments are scheduled at the Beebe Center for Weight Loss Surgery located at the Georgetown Health Campus at 21635 Biden Avenue in Georgetown, Delaware.