The Bridges Center At
St. Luke's Medical Center

Designated Centers Of Excellence In Bariatric Surgery
The Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management at St. Luke’s Medical Center and Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital is designated as an American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence (COE) by the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) — an independent, non-profit organization established by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) to improve the efficacy, efficiency and safety of bariatric surgery. ASMBS and SRC recognize the Bridges Center program at St. Luke’s Medical Center and Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital for providing superior bariatric surgery patient care and delivering optimal levels of performance.

St. Luke’s Medical Center, a Center of Excellence since 2005
St. Luke’s Medical Center received its Center of Excellence (COE) designation for bariatric surgery in 2005, through a collaborative effort with two board-certified bariatric surgeons of Abdominal Surgeons LTD: Daniel T. Fang, M.D., F.A.C.S., and Hilario Juarez, M.D., F.A.C.S. Both surgeons serve as medical co-directors for the Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management at St. Luke’s Medical Center.

Serving the Valley for more than 100 years, St. Luke’s Medical Center is a 235-bed tertiary care facility offering a full range of medical services, including bariatric center of excellence, emergency care, heart care, advanced surgical procedures, diagnostic imaging, orthopedic care, pain management and acute rehabilitation services. With a focus on serving the diverse health care needs of the community, the experienced staff provides high quality care, using the latest medical technology, in a caring environment. For more information, visit www.stlukesmedcenter.com.

Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital, a Center of Excellence since 2010
Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital received its Center of Excellence (COE) designation for bariatric surgery in 2010 with cooperation from board-certified surgeons, Eric Schlesinger, M.D., F.A.C.S., and Kurt W. Sprunger, M.D., F.A.C.S., of Surgical Weight Loss Solutions at Tempe St. Luke’s, a Physician Group of Arizona, Inc., practice. Dr. Schlesinger also serves as medical director for the Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management at Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital.

Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital, a campus of St. Luke’s Medical Center, is an 87-bed, state-of-the-art hospital that has been serving the East Valley for more than 60 years. Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital offers comprehensive health care services, including bariatric center of excellence, emergency care, orthopedic care, advanced surgical procedures, diagnostic imaging, maternity care, women’s services, pain management and wound care in a caring, community hospital atmosphere. The hospital is backed by a team of highly skilled health care professionals and advanced medical technology. For more information, visit www.tempestlukeshospital.com.

Center of Excellence Designation Promotes SRC Compliance and Excellence in Patient Care
To earn and maintain its Center of Excellence (COE) designation, the Bridges Center continually adheres to stringent requirements designed to provide bariatric patients with high quality care throughout the weight loss surgery journey.

1. Offers ongoing bariatric education programs for medical staff and patients.
2. Performs more than 700 bariatric surgeries each year — far exceeding the minimum 125 surgery requirement.
3. Designates medical directors for the bariatric program — providing leadership in each location.
4. Ensures critical care resources are always available for bariatric patients.
5. Procures and maintains equipment appropriate for bariatric patient care.
6. Works with highly qualified surgeons who specialize in bariatric surgery.
7. Standardizes preoperative care and bariatric surgical procedures.
8. Dedicates nurses and program coordinators to bariatric patient care.
9. Organizes and supervises bariatric patient support groups.
10. Offers long-term bariatric patient follow-up — exceeding the minimum five-year requirement.

To ensure ongoing COE compliance, the Bridges Center shares clinical, process and patient outcome data with the ASMBS and SRC annually. For our Bridges Center team, the Center of Excellence designation provides validation of our demonstrated track record of success and our ongoing dedication and commitment to providing high quality care and services to our valued patients. For more information, phone 1-800-248-5553.