Biz ‘Bites:’ Saint Al’s accredited for bariatric surgery

Saint Al’s accredited for bariatric surgery

Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise announced on Dec. 2 that it is now accredited as a comprehensive center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) for patients seeking surgical treatment for obesity and related conditions. The MBSAQIP is a joint quality program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

To earn MBSAQIP accreditation, Saint Alphonsus met essential criteria for staffing, training, facility infrastructure and patient care pathways, ensuring its ability to support patients with obesity. The center also participates in a national data registry that yields semiannual reports on the quality of its surgical outcomes and identifies opportunities for quality improvement.

“There is a large team of health care professionals behind this achievement,” said Christopher Reising, M.D., in a statement. Reising is the lead bariatric surgeon at Saint Alphonsus and a fellow of the ACS. “As we’ve seen with the current COVID-19 pandemic, underlying health issues, like obesity, can make patients more vulnerable to the coronavirus. Addressing these comorbidities through surgery can help lead to a longer and more fulfilling life for our patients.”

Northern Idaho city touted best place to retire in state 

Located near the top of part of the Gem State, Sandpoint is ranked as the number-one spot to retire if you are looking to stay in the state, according to SmartAsset’s rankings. The tax burden of 14.5% stays the same in the other top-10 ranked cities in Idaho.  

However, the six hospitals per every 1,000 people could add to the ideal number one retirement spot, according to the report, compared to Hayden (2.2 per 1,000) and Blackfoot (3.4 per 1,000) the number two and three places to retire. The rate of seniors in Sandpoint is 18.9%, which is a middle ground compared to some of the other top-10 cities to retire in Idaho. With any of the options, it looks like there is something to be had for everybody. 

Unity Alliance seeks funds for Parent College  

The Executive Director of Unity Alliance of Southern Idaho, Alejandra Hernandez, is helping the Parent College program with capital raised from their community through a crowdfunding campaign on Crowdfund Idaho. 

Parent College, an educational program that gathers families with different backgrounds together, states it helps children grow, succeed and reach their full potential both as scholars and as human beings. The campaign has reached a little over 40% of its goal and has raised $8,470. Unity Alliance of Southern Idaho hopes to expand the program and make Parent College even more accessible to underserved members of the community.