DALTON, Ga. - s4story -- DALTON, Georgia — Hamilton Ambulatory Surgery Center has earned accreditation as a Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program Ambulatory Surgery Center, making it the first MBSAQIP-accredited ambulatory surgery center serving Northwest Georgia and the greater Chattanooga region. The accreditation is awarded through MBSAQIP, a joint quality program of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

The accreditation formally recognizes Hamilton Ambulatory Surgery Center's commitment to patient safety, high-quality surgical care and continuous quality improvement for patients undergoing metabolic and bariatric procedures.

To achieve accreditation, the program underwent a comprehensive review of its facilities, clinical protocols, multidisciplinary services, staff training, patient-selection criteria, transfer procedures, outcomes monitoring and quality-improvement initiatives.

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The final accreditation report found Hamilton Ambulatory Surgery Center compliant with all applicable standards. It identified numerous program strengths, including comprehensive staff education, well-developed patient-care and risk-assessment protocols, surgeon verification, appropriate emergency-transfer arrangements, and a quality-improvement initiative designed to improve preoperative identification of patients at risk for obstructive sleep apnea.

The site reviewer also noted that patient records were organized and well documented, the facility had the appropriate equipment and trained personnel to care for patients with obesity, and the multidisciplinary team demonstrated a strong commitment to patient care.

"This accreditation validates the quality systems we have carefully built to provide selected patients with safe, effective and patient-centered metabolic and bariatric surgery in an ambulatory setting," said Jaime Ponce, MD, FACS, Medical Director and MBSAQIP Verified Surgeon. "It reflects the dedication of our entire team—from the initial evaluation and patient education through surgery, recovery and long-term follow-up."

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The reviewer described Hamilton Ambulatory Surgery Center's staff as "compassionate, caring caregivers who go the extra mile for their patients" and recommended accreditation without reservation.

"This was truly a team achievement," Dr. Ponce added. "We are proud to bring nationally accredited outpatient bariatric surgical care to patients in Dalton, Chattanooga and the surrounding region."

As an MBSAQIP-accredited facility, Hamilton Ambulatory Surgery Center is also recognized as an American College of Surgeons Surgical Quality Partner. Accreditation requires continued compliance with national standards, ongoing clinical data collection, long-term patient follow-up and annual reporting.

ABOUT HAMILTON AMBULATORY SURGERY CENTER

Hamilton Ambulatory Surgery Center provides outpatient surgical services at 1250 Broadrick Drive in Dalton, Georgia. Its metabolic and bariatric surgery program delivers carefully selected patients a structured pathway that includes preoperative evaluation, patient education, multidisciplinary support, surgery, postoperative monitoring and long-term follow-up in coordination with Dr. Jaime Ponce and the Weight Loss Center of Chattanooga team