First Dual-Certified Obesity Medicine & Bariatric Center in Pinellas County Receives Accreditation
Program touted for integrated approach to obesity treatment
St. Petersburg, FL (April 10, 2024) - Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital is proud to announce its designation as a Comprehensive Center with Obesity Medicine Qualifications by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). The prestigious accreditation comes after the hospital’s Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Institute, led by Dr. Alexander Ramirez, underwent a site review by the ACS in January.
Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital has the only dual accredited program in Pinellas County that includes obesity medicine and bariatric surgery.
“We are proud to set a new standard in the field, reflecting our unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation in patient care," said Dr. Ramirez, Medical Director of Bayfront Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Institute, Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital.
Patients battling obesity receive medical care from a comprehensive team of professionals that also includes a certified bariatric nurse, dietitian, psychologist, sports medicine physician, athletic trainer, patient navigator and nurse practitioner.
“This approach ensures that every patient receives personalized, compassionate care tailored to their unique needs, ultimately leading to better health outcomes, improved quality of life, and a sustainable path towards weight management, said Dr. Ramirez.
Bariatric patients at Orlando Health Bayfront are offered medical and/or surgical options, based on their needs. All patients are supported prior to, during and after their treatment to help them maintain the life changes that come with bariatric surgery and/or medical obesity management.
For more information, please visit Bayfront Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Institute online.
About Bayfront Health
The 480-bed Bayfront Health St. Petersburg was founded in 1910. It was acquired October 1, 2020 by Orlando Health, a private, not-for-profit healthcare organization with $9.6 billion of assets under management. The hospital’s areas of clinical excellence include heart and vascular, surgical services, rehabilitation services, neurosciences, maternity care and – as home to the only state-accredited Level Two Adult Trauma Center in the St. Petersburg region – emergency services and trauma care.
Bayfront Health St. Petersburg is integral to the 3,429-bed Orlando Health system that includes 29 hospitals and emergency departments – 25 of which are currently operational with four coming soon. The system also includes nine specialty institutes, skilled nursing facilities, an in-patient behavioral health facility under the management of Acadia Healthcare, and more than 375 outpatient facilities that include physician clinics, imaging and laboratory services, wound care centers, home healthcare services in partnership with LHC Group, and urgent care centers in partnership with FastMed Urgent Care. More than 4,750 physicians, representing more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties have privileges across the Orlando Health system, which employs more than 27,000 team members and more than 1,500 physicians.
Orlando Health’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) program hosts more than 350 residents and fellows including more than 40 who are enrolled at Bayfront Health St. Petersburg’s OB/GYN, Family Medicine, Sports Medicine and Pharmacy programs.
In FY 23, Orlando Health cared for 197,000 inpatients and 6.6 million outpatients. The healthcare system provided nearly $1.3 billion in total impact to the communities it serves in the form of community benefit programs and services, Medicare shortfalls, bad debt, community-building activities and capital investments in FY 22, the most recent period for which this information is available.
Additional information can be found at http://www.orlandohealth.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @orlandohealth.