SMH’s Bariatric & Metabolic Health Center has been accredited as a higher level “Comprehensive Center” under the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), a joint program of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. The designation signifies that the SMH bariatric team meets the highest standards established in the nation for the care of bariatric patients and that its surgeons have the specialized skills, experience and successful outcomes to manage patients with complex disease. As an MBSAQIP accredited center, the SMH team can treat patients beyond the age and BMI limits placed on lower acuity programs. The accreditation also provides access to treatment closer to home for people whose insurance plans require accreditation for coverage. Arundathi Rao, MD, a board-certified general surgeon who is fellowship trained in Bariatric, Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery, serves as medical director of SMH’s Bariatric and Metabolic Health Center and oversees its full range of medical, surgical and support services. The SMH team includes two other general surgeons Patrick Fitzgerald, MD, and John Nora, MD, as well as nurses, dietitians and clinicians who provide dietary/nutritional counseling, psycho-social services, exercise programs and lifetime support.

Sarasota Memorial Hospital