Valley LifeStart: The Center for Weight and Wellness Accredited for Medical and Surgical Weight Management for Both Adolescent and Adults

PARAMUS, NJ, October 27, 2024 –  Valley LifeStart: The Center for Weight and Wellness? has received full accreditation as a Comprehensive Center under the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP?) for its commitment to providing medical and surgical management of obesity for both adolescents and adults.

Valley LifeStart offers medically managed weight loss using the latest FDA-approved medications, and leading-edge surgical options, including robotic-assisted sleeve gastrectomy and robotic-assisted modified duodenal switch, for adult patients recommended for surgery.

MBSAQIP? is a joint program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) designed to assist metabolic and bariatric surgery patients in identifying inpatient and outpatient bariatric surgery centers that provide optimal surgical care.

“We are honored that our program is now also accredited for the pediatric population in both areas of medical and surgical weight management,” said Naser Gharaibeh, MD, Medical Director of Metabolic Medicine and Weight Loss. “This accreditation recognizes Valley’s Healthy LifeWays program, our pediatric obesity program, overseen by Dr. Sherry Sakowitz.”

Healthy Lifeways is The Valley Hospital's and Valley Medical Group's comprehensive Childhood Wellness and Weight Management Program led by Sherry Sakowitz, MD. This intensive, evidence-based program is designed to support children and their families in achieving sustainable health behavior and lifestyle changes. Patients are engaged in an ongoing treatment plan, typically involving 16 to 26 visits per year. The treatment approach encompasses lifestyle and behavior modification, cognitive behavioral therapy, pharmacological interventions, and, when appropriate, referrals for bariatric surgery. To learn more about Healthy LifeWays, please visit ValleyHealth.com/PediatricWellness.

To qualify for this accreditation, Valley’s program had to meet the MBSAQIP? standards outlined in the Optimal Resources for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, which ensure bariatric surgical patients receive a multidisciplinary program, not just a surgical procedure, to improve patient outcomes and long-term success. Valley also had to meet essential criteria for staffing, training and facility infrastructure, and protocols for care, ensuring its ability to support patients with severe obesity.

Valley LifeStart is located at 80 Rt. 4 East, Suite 490, in Paramus.

For more information about the program, please call 201-251-3480 or visit ValleyHealth.com/WeightLoss.