SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., – Regional West Medical Center’s bariatric program has received national accreditation as a Comprehensive Center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), a joint program of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

MBSAQIP accreditation demonstrates that Regional West’s bariatric program meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality care.

Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for severe obesity. It significantly decreases the incidence of obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis, and it considerably improves the quality of patients’ lives.

“We are very proud to have earned this distinction,” said Regional West bariatric surgeon Jason LaTowsky, MD, who serves as the director of the bariatric program. “MBSAQIP accreditation underscores the commitment of our providers and staff to providing comprehensive, high quality, personalized care for our bariatric patients.”

Regional West surgeons have performed thousands of bariatric procedures since 1980. Jeffrey Holloway, MD, FACS, has extensive experience in weight loss surgery and specializes in adjustable laparoscopic gastric band surgery. Jason LaTowsky, MD, is fellowship-trained in both the laparoscopic gastric bypass and gastric sleeve procedures. The bariatric team also includes a bariatric coordinator, registered nurses, dietitians, social workers, physical therapists, and other dedicated staff.

To earn the MBSAQIP designation, Regional West Medical Center met essential criteria for staffing, training, facility infrastructure, and protocols for care, in addition to completing an extensive site visit by an experienced bariatric surgeon, who reviewed the center's structure, process, and clinical outcomes data.

For more information about bariatric surgery at Regional West, please call 800-321-6790 or 308-632-2872 or visit RWMCWeightLossOptions.com.

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 188-bed regional referral center and one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 providers, and over 2,000 employees, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.