News

August 26, 2021

Sebastian River Medical Center Designated United Healthcare’s Optum Bariatric Center of Excellence

[August 26, 2021, Sebastian, FL] – The Clinical Sciences Institute of Optum, the health services platform of UnitedHealth Group, has designated Sebastian River Medical Center’s bariatric program an Optum Bariatric Center of Excellence.

Programs designated as an Optum Bariatric Center of Excellence perform more successful surgeries compared to other facilities in the area and have the outcome and quality data demonstrating a clinically superior program.  The criteria that must be met to receive this designation includes review of annual surgical volume, the number of experienced surgeons performing bariatric surgery, complication and mortality rates, other certifications the facility may hold, length of the time the program has been in existence and the multidisciplinary team that has been put in place to ensure patient success.  All Optum Bariatric Centers of Excellence facilities are continually monitored to ensure the best quality and encourage adherence to standardized treatment practices based on quantitative data.  This designation will also allow patients with United Healthcare to have surgery at Sebastian River Medical Center if they meet the requirements outlined in their policy.

“When patients choose Sebastian River Medical Center for their weight loss surgery, they are choosing a hospital and surgeons that help them achieve long-term success”, explains Patrick Domkowski, MD, medical director of the bariatric program at Sebastian River Medical Center.  “The Optum Bariatric Center of Excellence, along with our designation as an Accredited Center by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and a Blue Distinction Centers+, offers our patients a quality program that is built around a dedicated multidisciplinary team working together to ensure quality and success.”

Obesity is a serious health concern.  Bariatric surgery gives patients a tool to help them achieve long-term weight loss and impacts their overall health.  Bariatric surgery can have a positive effect on high blood pressure, diabetes, joint pain, obstructive sleep apnea, infertility, and others various health conditions.  “The impact on our patient’s lives is wonderful to witness,” expresses Dr. Domkowski. “Our team is there to support and encourage them from the decision to have surgery, through the surgery, and beyond.  It is a joy to watch our patients live the healthy and happy life they dreamed of.”