SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., ― Regional West Medical Center, which brought weight loss surgery to the region more than 35 years ago and is nationally accredited by one of the nation’s most prestigious bariatric surgery accrediting organization, is now also designated a Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery.

Regional West is accredited as a comprehensive center under the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, known as MBSAQIP®, a joint program of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

To earn the MBSAQIP designation, Regional West met essential criteria for staffing, training, facility infrastructure, and protocols for care, promoting its ability to support patients with severe obesity. The medical center also participates in a national data registry that yields semiannual reports on the quality of its processes and outcomes, identifying opportunities for continuous quality improvement.

Regional West was recently designated a Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery. Blue Distinction Centers provide a full range of bariatric surgical care; including surgery, post-operative care, outpatient follow-up care, and patient education. The commitment to quality care results in better overall outcomes for bariatric surgery patients.

“We are extremely proud that the weight loss surgery program at Regional West has received accreditation from one of the nation’s top national bariatric accrediting organizations,” said Regional West bariatric surgeon Jason LaTowsky, MD. “This recognition signifies a level of excellence in bariatric surgery and acknowledges our commitment to providing exceptional care for our bariatric patients.”  

Bariatric surgery has been performed at Regional West Medical Center since 1980. Surgeon Jeffrey Holloway, MD, FACS, specializes in laparoscopic gastric band surgery, and surgeon Jason LaTowsky, MD, is fellowship-trained in both the laparoscopic gastric bypass and gastric sleeve procedures.

For additional information about weight loss surgery at Regional West, visit RWMCWeightLossOptions.com or call Bariatric Coordinator Becca Lattin, RN, at 308-630-2249.

About Blue Distinction Centers
Blue Distinction Centers (BDC) met overall quality measures for patient safety and outcomes, developed with input from the medical community. A Local Blue Plan may require additional criteria for providers located in its own service area; for details, contact your Local Blue Plan. Blue Distinction Centers+ (BDC+) also met cost measures that address consumers’ need for affordable health care. Each provider’s cost of care is evaluated using data from its Local Blue Plan. Providers in CA, ID, NY, PA, and WA may lie in two Local Blue Plans’ areas, resulting in two evaluations for cost of care; and their own Local Blue Plans decide whether one or both cost of care evaluation(s) must meet BDC+ national criteria. National criteria for BDC and BDC+ are displayed on www.bcbs.com. Individual outcomes may vary. For details on a provider’s in-network status or your own policy’s coverage, contact your Local Blue Plan and ask your provider before making an appointment. Neither Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association nor any Blue Plans are responsible for non-covered charges or other losses or damages resulting from Blue Distinction or other provider finder information or care received from Blue Distinction or other providers.

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 in-network providers, and 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.