NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH NAMES LUTHERAN MEDICAL CENTER A BARIATRIC SPECIALTY CENTER
Monday, January 25, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH NAMES LUTHERAN MEDICAL CENTER A BARIATRIC SPECIALTY CENTER
Selection recognizes high level of experience, low complication rates, and pre/post operative continuum of care
January 25, 2010, Brooklyn, New York…As of January 1, 2010, Lutheran Medical Center is one of only five hospitals in New York City selected by the New York State Department of Health to provide bariatric surgery for Medicaid fee-for-service-recipients.
"This new surgical designation means two very important things to Lutheran and its patients," said Wendy Z. Goldstein, president and chief executive officer of Lutheran HealthCare. "First, it acknowledges the high level of experience and talent in our surgical department. Second, it means this very serious and often life-saving procedure will be available to many more morbidly obese patients in our community."
One of the standards addressed in the DOH's new Bariatric Specialty Center designation is the level of pre- and post-operative care for bariatric recipients. Lutheran's Surgical Weight Loss Institute, which has performed countless procedures for patients all over the country since 2004, offers a full contingent of surgical weight loss support groups including pre-operative and post-operative gastric bypass, Lap-Band and sleeve gastrectomy.
According to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control obesity continues to be a significant public health problem. Weight loss surgery can be a life-saving option for those who are severe/morbidly obesity (100 pounds overweight or more). It has also proven to help control and manage weight related health problems like type-2 diabetes. Surgeons may also recommend the operation if you suffer from heart disease, sleep apnea, high blood pressure or other ailments -- directly related to obesity.
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