Alabama Weight Loss Surgery was awarded the designation of "Center of Excellence" (COE) by the SRC / ASMBS. This certification was initiated by the Surgical Review Corporation and the American Society for Bariatric Surgery to better insure quality in bariatric surgery. The COE designation by this independent review corporation is based on the programs components, outcomes and statistics. There is also a site visit involved to validate the program's data. Unfortunately, there are several "COE's" being listed today which can cause confusion. Many insurance companies have created their own which are often based on provider contracts and not site validation.

Obesity is not only limited to the U.S. It is now a global crisis and epidemic. With over 300 million obese people worldwide, certain standards need to be put in place to ensure that patients receive the highest levels of efficacy and safety for bariatric care. The Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) established the COE designation to ensure that standards. Quality standards, benchmarks on best practices, and compliance norms are all important parts of a healthcare organization's COE standing.

Goals of a COE:

• Ensuring consistency of standards worldwide
• Assisting in development of clinical trials, data analysis, and research efforts
• Lobbying for health care coverage of bariatric surgery
• Addressing issues with consumer confidence and concerns

In addition to being an ASMBS Center of Excellence, we are the facility of choice for the following: