The Center of Excellence application process can be an exciting but time-consuming experience for you and your organization. Allow us to work with you to make this a time of growth and opportunity for your bariatric program. Regardless of the organization granting your status as a Center of Excellence, we understand the specific requirements of the process and will take you through it step-by-step.

Surgical Excellence, LLC is a company created collaboratively by members of the bariatric surgery, general surgery and risk management communities whose mission includes assisting health care facilities in their goal toward Centers of Excellence status.

The process of working toward Centers of Excellence status can begin at any step in the process:

• Are you just beginning to consider an application? Let us become involved in identifying key stakeholders early in the experience. Individuals can better understand their specific responsibilities with the goal of seamless and efficient effort.
• Are you near the time of your survey? Give us the opportunity to make a mock visit for you to determine whether you are in the best position to present your work to the surveyor.
• Have you failed to meet the goals of the Center of Excellence application? Let us help you get back on track with a brief application analysis and an action plan with appropriate steps to meet the goals of your application.
• Are you planning your recertification visit? We are available to help you meet the changing requirements for recertification of Center of Excellence status.

Provisional status is the first step in attaining Center of Excellence designation. Once designated as provisional status, participants may apply for "full approval" when they can document that they have attained the safe environment requirements with effective outcomes. The COE process includes a site visit by one of its inspectors who tour the facilities, evaluate the center and its quality of care, conduct interviews and review medical charts.

Surgical Excellence, LLC has a team of clinical and risk management professionals that can help a bariatric surgery program or practice to put into place the measures typically necessary to attain full approval. This can be done through either consulting services or an actual "mock COE site visit" by the Surgical Excellence, LLC team.

Surgical Excellence, LLC’s services do not end when a practice or program attains full approval status. Surgical Excellence, LLC’s personnel can help move a COE further up the patient safety, quality, and liability risk reduction curves. By focusing on certain, evidence-based risk management strategies, a practice or program can not only attain COE status, but also reduce liability exposure and further enhance its success and economics.

Surgical Excellence, LLC is a member of the Surgical Review Corporation’s Value for Excellence Program (VforE). In recognition of this commitment to quality care and patient safety, Surgical Excellence, LLC offers fully approved ASMBS Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence® (BSCOE®) and SRC’s International Bariatric Surgery COE designees a discount on consulting services that enhance quality of care and patient safety while reducing professional liability risk.

The Surgical Excellence, LLC team is here to help you make the most of your Center of Excellence experience whether you are seeking provisional status or full approval status. Specifically, we are able to:

• Assist in completing Provisional Status Application and guide for attaining full BSCOE Designation
• Develop an action plan for completing COE requirements
• Formulate checklists for overall COE strategy and individual institution assignments
• Provide a guideline for facility executive and bariatric medical director meetings
• Plan and execute interdisciplinary in-service training and education
• Assist the process for creating a size-sensitive physical environment
• Create a timetable for completion of weight and other facility requirements
• Develop a strategy for size-sensitive equipment and instruments
• Monitor development of institution-specific pathways, standardized orders and procedures
• Provide an on-site mock COE visit