More information on centre's of excelence

I've been trying to find out everything I can about this bariatric centre of excelence thing. Specific information is hard to come by. I spoke with someone at Liv Lite in junction city today. I think she said her name was Tammy. She said it is likely to take at least 6 months. She said that they meet all the criteria for a centre of excelence except 1. It seems that you must do at least 125 bariatric surgeries a year to get this certification. How do you do that if nobody can/will pay for it? This seems to me to be a get 'em in cut 'em up get 'em out kind of metality. I think I know what they were trying to do. They want only centres with experience to do this surgery but I don't like the potential side effect. I think it will actualy put more patients at risk. I called SSM DePaul Health Center in St. Louis. They are a centre of excelence but they will not take medicare patients. There are several places in the Denver area but most of them won't take medicare patients either. I did find a Dr. Brown who does take a few. He will take 3 medicare patients a month. I have an appoitment with him next month. The problem is medicare just won't pay as well as private insurance will. Dr's can make more money doing other than medicare patients. The bottom line is Dr's are in business to make money. Saving lives is just a side effect. In the mean time my intent is to raise as much hell with as many people who can do something about this as possible. Eventualy they'll get tired of hearing from me and fix this.

Hi Mark. I had my wls done at Junction City, and the facility and the physicians are top notch. At out Support Group Tuesday we discussed the entire COE and medicare. They are not fighting the Center of Excellence requirement. They fully believe that people SHOULD go to a center of Excellence. Right now they meet all the requirements except they are short about 12 surgeries of having 125. The reason for this is one of their surgeons left last year and was replaced by a qualified surgeon, but has not had the opportunity to do more surguries. They are in the process of trying to get a waiver to get a provisional COE based on all of the other criteria. They should know in a few weeks. Once they are granted that, surguries can commence again for Medicare patients. Good luck in your search. Joan

Hi Joan. I'm glad you had the chance to have your surgery. I know I will too I just don't know when. I would like to clarify something. I DO think people should go to a centre of excelence. I agree with Medicare about that. I just think they should have phased this in over enough time to realisticly allow hospitals to meet the standard while continuing patient care. As for what I'm going to do next I don't know for sure. I have an appointment in Denver next month but I'm not sure if I should keep that or wait for a centre around Topeka to be certified. I keep getting conflicting reports about Live Lite in Junaction City. Several people have posted that at meetings they've said it will be soon, but when I called there to find out their status they said it would be 6 months or more before they have it. They stopped short of telling me to go somewhere else. I don't expect anyone will tell me that. $

I'm sure they don't want to get peoples hopes up, by telling them it could be soon. From what I got at the meeting they are HOPEING to hear anyday that they get a waiver of being 12 surgerys short of the 125 magic number, but they meet and exceed all of the other, more important qualifications (low complication rate esp.). BUT if they do not get the waiver, it could be longer before they can re-apply. They are also very upset about all of this. I am not sure if any of the topeka surgeons have the numbers to qualify, I only know what I hear. Patty said that one of them said they were not even going to apply. I do wish you good luck. It was the best thing I have ever done for ME.

I received a form today from Tallgrass surgery asking me to sign it so I can be entered into the database for them to become a center of excellence. It sounds like they are in process. Alice

Hi Alice, I haven't heard from you in a little bit. That is good news, I hope it happens! take care.