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St. Joseph Medical Center, Tacoma
St. Clare Hospital, Lakewood
St. Francis Hospital, Federal Way
St. Anthony Hospital, Gig Harbor
Enumclaw Regional Hospital, Enumclaw
Franciscan Medical Group
December 5, 2007
St. Francis Hospital, a leader in weight loss
surgery, is added to
Aetna Bariatric Network
St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, a leading
provider of weight loss surgery in Washington, has been added to
the Aetna Bariatric Network based on the number of patients
served, clinical quality and other criteria.
This citation for excellence by one of the nation’s leading
health insurance companies assures Aetna clients that St.
Francis is among the best weight loss surgery providers.
“We strive every day to make sure that our patients receive the
best care and experience the best outcomes,” said Janelle
Morissette, a registered nurse and manager of the St. Francis
Center for Weight Management. More than 2,400 weight loss
surgeries have been performed at the hospital in the last seven
years.
Weight loss surgery provides the only effective, lasting relief
from severe obesity.
An estimated 15 million people in the U.S. are severely obese,
meaning they are 100 or more pounds over their ideal body
weight. Obesity increases the risks for Type 2 diabetes,
cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and other
life-threatening health problems.
Being added to the Aetna Bariatric Network is the latest in a
series of recent honors for St. Francis Hospital. The others
are:
- Designation as a Center of Excellence by the
American Society for Bariatric Surgery in 2005
- Accreditation by the American College of Surgeons
in 2007
- Recognitions for excellence by insurance
providers United Resource Networks and Cigna in 2006
- Designation as a Blue Distinction Center for
Bariatric Surgery by Premera Blue Cross and Regence Blue Shield in
2007
The Aetna Bariatric Network lists only those
facilities in the U.S. that have been specifically reviewed for the quality of
their services and have been selected based on patient volumes, efficiency, and
clinical outcomes. Aetna customers who are considering weight loss surgery can
be assured that the organizations in its bariatric network are the best
available. Services must be preauthorized with Aetna for coverage to be
effective.
Aetna, based in Hartford, Conn., is one of the
nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving
approximately 36.4 million people with information and resources to help them
make better informed decisions about their health care. The company’s web site
is:
www.aetna.com
St. Francis Hospital, which is licensed for 110
beds, is a part of the Franciscan Health System, the pre-eminent health care
provider in the South Puget Sound region.
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Franciscan Health System
includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital
in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Enumclaw
Regional Hospital in Enumclaw; St. Anthony Hospital in Gig
Harbor (opens in 2009); Franciscan Medical Group (a network of
primary care and specialty care clinics and physicians); and
Franciscan Hospice House in University Place. In addition to
medical, surgical and emergency care, the Franciscan
organization is the leading provider of cardiac and surgical
weight loss services in the South Puget Sound region. Franciscan
has received the 2007 Washington State Quality Award in
recognition of its high quality and performance excellence.
Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one
of the nation’s largest non-profit health care systems.
Franciscan website:
www.FHShealth.org
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