In September, CHI St. Luke’s-The Woodlands hospital became the first CHI St. Luke’s hospital in the Greater Houston area to be named a Comprehensive Metabolic and Bariatric Center of Excellence.


The designation came from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, which promotes national accreditation standards for bariatric surgery centers.


Bariatric procedures or surgery are typically performed on patients who are obese.


Jan Penn, registered nurse and bariatric program coordinator, said the hospital had to go through a rigorous process to earn the designation and started working on efforts to earn the designation in 2014.


“We had to record a lot of data, mortalities, re-admission rates and then obtain certain equipment and enable specific training for the program for the entire hospital,” Penn said. “The whole process of how a patient enters the system, the dietary regimens after surgery and placing follow-up plans were all part of the program and demonstrating a certain environment.”


Penn said since the hospital has received the designation, the facility is held up to a standard for all other hospitals to follow.


“Of the six CHI St. Luke’s hospitals in the Greater Houston area, we are the premiere [facility],” she said. “We started at ground zero, and now we are accredited.”


Amanda Sanders, marketing director for CHI St. Luke’s-The Woodlands Hospital, said with the designation also comes additional opportunities to help more people who come to the hospital.


“This type of surgery has the ability to transform lives,” Sanders said. “The fact that this surgery can change disease is a great point.”