Duke Raleigh Hospital

By Dr. Jin Yoo, MD, FACS, FASMBS, medical director of Duke Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery of Raleigh

Duke Raleigh Hospital’s Bariatric Center recently earned the highest possible accreditation from the American College of Surgeons’ Bariatric Surgery Center Network (BSCN). Our center has been accredited as a Level 1 facility by the BSCN Accreditation Program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This is the highest possible designation.

Being awarded this accreditation opens the door for the type of patients we can now provide care for. For instance, Medicare patients and certain managed care insurance companies that require patients to be cared for at an accredited facility, now have access to Duke Raleigh Hospital. This designation should give patients every confidence and assurance that they are making the best decision for themselves. The designation provides confirmation of our commitment to the highest quality care for patients.

Duke’s weight loss surgery program has been in existence for more than 10 years in Durham, so when we expanded our program to Raleigh, we didn’t have to make a lot of changes to prepare for the accreditation process. That being said, Duke Raleigh staff members have added their own “special touch” to enhance our program to increase patient satisfaction. For example, we have streamlined the necessary steps for patients to have their surgery, all the way from their new patient evaluation visit, to their pre-op visit and finally to their surgery date. The entire process is seamless.

We are the largest bariatric program in North Carolina with six surgeons in our practice, two clinic sites and two hospitals where we are the only bariatric surgeons. Duke weight loss surgery program is the second largest academic bariatric program in the country, which means that patients are not only getting the best quality of care from staff members and physicians, but also all the latest advances, technology and research that can only be obtained from an academic center practicing evidence-based medicine.

We strive to provide the highest degree of care to our patients by offering all the surgical options available. In most cases, we offer patients a choice of which type of surgery is best for them.

Because we understand that access to health care is important to our patients, we have multiple points of contact, with clinics and hospitals in both Raleigh and in Durham, and in-person informational seminars offered throughout the state. For those who cannot travel, we also offer a webinar option.

In the United States, more than 11 million people suffer from severe obesity, and the numbers are on the rise. Obesity increases the risks of morbidity and mortality because of conditions commonly associated with it, such as type II diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Weight-loss surgery currently provides the only effective, lasting relief from severe obesity.

We’re honored to have earned this designation, but it’s really just confirmation of what our staff and patients have always known. We offer the highest quality care before, during and after life-altering bariatric surgery.

Find out more about our bariatric program, or sign up for one of our free information sessions.