HOLMDEL – Bayshore Community Hospital has announced that its Center for Bariatrics has earned the prestigious “Center of Excellence” designation from the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).
The ASMBS Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence program recognizes surgeons and facilities that demonstrate an unparalleled commitment and ability to consistently deliver safe, effective, evidence-based care.
Since its opening in 2011, the Center for Bariatrics at Bayshore has performed more than 125 weight loss surgeries. The center is led by medical director and bariatric specialist, Karl Strom, M.D.
Strom joined Bayshore with more than 10 years of experience and began building the region’s most comprehensive program for bariatric patients. He has changed the lives of thousands of people who have relied on his expertise for bariatric surgery. Strom previously led the implementation of two other bariatric centers, one located at Bayshore’s sister hospital Southern Ocean Medical Center. He is board certified in bariatric surgery, laparoscopic surgery, and general surgery, as well as fellowship-trained in minimally invasive surgery.
The Center for Bariatrics at Bayshore is one of the most comprehensive in the region offering free informational sessions, pre-surgical education and evaluation and personal guidance through the surgical process, nutritional support, exercise components, and support groups.
“Research has shown that severe obesity is often caused by a combination of genetics, environment, and lifestyle,” Strom says. “It is characterized as a chronic disease, meaning that its symptoms build slowly over an extended period of time. People who suffer from severe obesity are at an increased risk for a number of health conditions that can seriously impact quality of life and significantly reduce life expectancy. Bariatric surgery works and helps people achieve substantial, long-term weight loss.”
The Center for Bariatrics takes a comprehensive approach on bariatric treatment including: counseling, nutrition, exercise and medical/surgical treatment. The center features the LAP-BAND System, the only U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved, adjustable and completely reversible procedure, which requires less than a 24-hour hospital stay, has no stomach stapling or rerouting, and is 10 times safer than gastric bypass.
The Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence designation currently enables reimbursement from many major health insurers including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
To learn more about the Center for Bariatrics, call 732-739-5925 or visit www.BayshoreHospital.org/Bariatrics.
