News

November 10, 2014

St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center’s Center for Weight Control Earns Optum™ Center of Excellence Designation

St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, a teaching affiliate of Tufts University School of Medicine, recently was designated an Optum™ Center of Excellence. The Optum Centers of Excellence network is comprised of medical programs that have met or exceeded clinical and program criteria in areas of complex medical care.

Optum is a leading information and technology-enabled health services business dedicated to helping make the health system work better for everyone. Optum offers Centers of Excellence network services in the areas of transplantation, kidney disease, pediatric heart disease, complex cancers, bariatric surgery, infertility and pregnancy.

“The Optum Centers of Excellence validates our own program’s goal of providing exceptional care through the adherence to rigorous performance standards,” said Nicole Pecquex, MD, director of the St. Elizabeth’s Center for Weight Control. “This designation joins our American College of Surgeons Level I accreditation and the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement accreditation in helping our patients make informed choices about their care. Patients with complex, unusual or rare medical conditions have a likelihood of better outcomes when they are diagnosed and treated by medical professionals with the greatest experience and statistically validated clinical expertise.”

Optum uses proprietary evaluation criteria to select medical centers eligible to participate in its Centers of Excellence network. Criteria used to select a Center of Excellence include:

  • Procedural volume and associated outcomes.
  • Stability of the team and the ability of the back-up team to manage the program.
  • Projected trends and technological advances in the specific field of medical science.
  • Overall commitment to its field through the synergy of multiple, related programs within the medical center.

To schedule an appointment with a member of the St. Elizabeth’s Center for Weight Control team, please call 617-562-7474 or visit http://www.steward.org/Weight-Loss-Centers.

About St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center
St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center is a major academic medical center affiliated with Tufts University School of Medicine and part of the Steward Health Care Network.  Areas of medical excellence include cardiology, cardiac surgery, neurosciences, general and robotic surgery, bariatric surgery, women’s health, high-risk obstetrics, bone and joint health, hematology/oncology, pulmonary medicine and emergency medicine. Additional information is available at www.steward.org