Southcoast Center for Weight Loss Celebrates 3,500 Patient Milestone
July 25, 2013Congratulations Southcoast Team! Thank you for all you do to help support the OH community and your patients!-From the ObesityHelp Staff
Bariatric program far exceeds national quality standards
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. – Southcoast Center for Weight Loss announced today that it has reached a major milestone in the program’s history. In only nine years, the community-based program has helped more than 3,500 people on their life-changing journey through bariatric weight loss surgery.
Southcoast Center for Weight Loss is the highest volume program in New England with care that far exceeds national quality standards. The program consistently performs significantly better than industry benchmarks, with a major complication rate of approximately 1 percent.
“We pride ourselves on providing the highest quality patient care with outstanding clinical outcomes,” said Rayford Kruger, MD, FACS, Bariatric Surgeon & Medical Director for Southcoast Center for Weight Loss, who practices with surgeons Donald Colacchio, MD, and Thomas Streeter, MD, FACS. “Our success is shown by our numbers, with an average weight loss of 104 pounds within 18 months of surgery. And the pre- and post- surgery support we provide is unlike any other offered in our area.”
In celebration of the 3,500 patient milestone, Southcoast Center for Weight Loss invited all of their patients to a Patient Reunion. The reunion took place on Saturday, May 4, at Southcoast Health System at Rosebrook in Wareham. The family fun day featured an inspirational talk by nationally known keynote speaker, Katy Jay, an obesity survivor who underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2004. Activities also included cooking and fitness demonstrations, children’s activities, a “Walk with a Southcoast Doc” through the cranberry bogs, raffles, photo sessions and more.
“We know this is a significant lifestyle change for our patients and the only way for them to succeed is to have the support they need, when and where they need it. We remember that in everything we do,” Kruger said.
Southcoast Center for Weight Loss was created in the South Coast region specifically for local patients, to provide all of the service, care and support they need conveniently located in their own community. The program is based at Southcoast Health System at Rosebrook, 100 Rosebrook Way in Wareham, with surgery performed in state-of-the-art operating rooms at nearby Tobey Hospital.
The program provides coordinated, safe and comprehensive surgical weight loss services including laparoscopic gastric bypass, adjustable gastric band, gastric sleeve and revision surgical procedures. Patients are in regular contact with our team of experts in nutrition and exercise as well as psychologists and social workers who run weekly support groups to help our patients succeed. The program also includes post-surgery support groups held in Fall River, Hyannis, New Bedford and Wareham for the convenience of patients throughout the area.
For more information about Southcoast Center for Weight Loss, call 508-273-4900 or visit www.wouthcoast.org/weightloss.
About Southcoast Health System & Southcoast Hospitals Group
Southcoast Health System is a community based health delivery system with multiple access points, offering an integrated continuum of health services throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It includes the three hospitals that make up Southcoast Hospitals Group – Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in Wareham.
Southcoast provides advanced clinical services, such as open heart surgery, angioplasty and heart rhythm services, comprehensive cancer care, neurosurgery, weight loss surgery, orthopedic surgery, advanced imaging services and is the only provider of maternity services in the region. Southcoast is a not-for-profit charitable organization that depends on the support of the community to provide services. More information is available online at www.southcoast.org. Connect to Southcoast through social media at www.southcoast.org/connect/.
# # #