Apply for Accredition
To become, or renew status as, an Accredited Bariatric Center in the ACS BSCN, a facility must complete an application. If the application is approved, an agreement is executed and signed by a representative of both the center and American College of Surgeons. An accreditation fee is paid to the ACS to officially receive provisional approval. To receive full approval for accreditation, a site visit is conducted during which the site reviewer not only verifies the information submitted in the application and the detailed Pre-Site Review Questionnaire completed by the center, but also conducts a tour of the facilities and meets with the key staff of the bariatric surgical team, hospital administration, and other personnel. The final approval for full accreditation is granted upon a successful site visit.
View Chart on differences between ACS BSCN Accreditation levels
Here
Apply for accreditation two ways.
- Complete an MS Word form file; or,
- Complete a Web-based application at ACS online application system
FAQ : Applying for accreditation and reaccreditation
Our parent institution operates two facilities with the same bariatric surgical team. Can we apply for accreditation for both facilities with one application?
No. Each facility must complete a separate application for accreditation because the non-surgical clinical staff, equipment, guidelines, and other factors may differ.
What does the CEO/COO letter of support need to include?
The letter of support needs to express the administrative knowledge of, and support for, the application for ACS BSCN Accreditation. If you would like to address any issues, or provide insight and detail regarding your facility and application, please include it in the letter. We suggest you include helpful details such as a brief history of the applicant facility’s bariatric surgery program and a rationale for seeking ACS BSCN Accreditation.
What if my program does not meet the facility volume requirements at this time?
Centers must meet volume requirements at the time of application. Centers that apply for accreditation before meeting requirements will not be approved.
Can the director of bariatric surgery be a surgeon at more than one facility?
Yes. The director of bariatric surgery may be a surgeon at more than one facility, but s/he must still fulfill the director responsibilities at the ACS Accredited Bariatric Center. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to, a significant presence at the center that is seeking accreditation participation on the call schedule, and provision of coverage for other bariatric surgeons at the center. During the application process, a center will be asked to submit a job description for the director of bariatric surgery.
For the physician-volume requirement, is the individual surgeon volume based only on procedures performed at our facility, or can we count the procedures performed at other facilities?
The volume requirement for individual surgeons can include bariatric procedures performed at other facilities; however, it is desirable that the facility’s primary bariatric surgeon(s) perform most bariatric surgical procedures at the location seeking accreditation. For instance, if you are applying as a Level 1 center and have five surgeons, then a minimum of two surgeons must perform most of the operations at your facility. Facilities must still meet facility volume requirements.
Is it acceptable if a surgeon does not meet individual surgeon-volume requirements at our facility, but meets the requirements at other facilities?
It is not acceptable if it is the primary bariatric surgeon(s) required for the center level.
If a surgeon is no longer at our facility, do we still have to include his/her volume numbers in the application? For instance, we have a surgeon who has been on staff for less than two years.
Yes. All volume must be reported from the previous year(s), regardless of whether the surgeon is still practicing at the applying center or not. If a surgeon is new, please report the surgeon’s volume numbers at his/her previous facility for the timeframe in the application. Please make note of this information in the general comments section of the application.
Please contact ACS BSCN staff for other questions on applying for accreditation and reaccreditation at bscn@facs.org
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