Baptist Jacksonville receives top women’s choice award for bariatric surgery

Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville has received the 2016 Women’s Choice Award® as one of America’s Best Hospitals for Bariatric Surgery.

This evidence-based designation is the only award that identifies the country’s best health care institutions based on robust criteria that consider female patient satisfaction, clinical excellence, and what women say they want from a hospital.

The list of more than 300 award winners, including Baptist Jacksonville, represents hospitals that have met the high standards of The American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

“The recognition of our bariatric program highlights the commitment and dedication of our surgeons, nurses, support staff and the patients who choose us for their care,” said Michael Mayo, hospital president of Baptist Jacksonville. “We are honored to be cited as one of America’s Best Hospitals for Bariatric Surgery and honor the trust that this recognition places on our commitment to quality and providing the highest level of patient care.”

The Baptist Center for Bariatric Surgery, located at Baptist Jacksonville, offers the highest level of quality care through every step of a person’s weight loss journey. Baptist Bariatrics, which is accredited by the American College of Surgeons and The American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, includes a dedicated surgery floor; a multidisciplinary care team and two dedicated bariatric surgeons, Steven E. Hodgett, MD, and Craig B. Morgenthal, MD, who have more than 20 years of combined experience.

“There is a lot of hard work that goes into the success of this program. I'm thrilled that the people behind the scenes are getting the recognition they deserve,” said Dr. Hodgett, chair of the Department of Surgery at Baptist Jacksonville. “Our success and the success of our patients continue to demonstrate the importance of these procedures in changing women's lives.”

Dr. Morgenthal, chief of general surgery for Baptist Jacksonville, added, “Metabolic and bariatric surgery is the only intervention that has consistently been shown to have successful long-term weight loss, as well as associated improvement in medical co-morbidities, in patients with morbid obesity. We are helping patients achieve their goal of a healthier life with a multi-disciplinary, supportive program and our outcomes meet or exceed national standards.”

Hospitals earning this award also ranked above the national average for patient recommendations on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems surveys, as indicated by the data reported from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The Baptist Center for Bariatric Surgery also has been recognized by Florida Blue with a Blue Distinction® Center designation as part of the Blue Distinction® Centers for Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated health care facilities shown to deliver quality specialty care, based on objective measures that were developed with input from the medical community, for patient safety and better health outcomes.

According to an April study by the University of San Diego Health, 80 percent of patients who undergo bariatric surgery are female, despite equal rates of obesity among men and women.

“Women tend to be risk averse, so we’re simplifying her choices by verifying those hospitals providing outstanding patient care and performance, allowing her to choose with confidence,” says Delia Passi, CEO and founder of the Women’s Choice Award.

For information about the Baptist Center for Bariatric Surgery, call 904.202.SLIM (7546) or go to baptistbariatrics.com.