CQIs will join together for inaugural Obesity Summit on Sept. 23

More than a dozen Collaborative Quality Initiatives will participate in the first CQI Fair at the Michigan Bariatric Surgical Collaborative Obesity Summit in September.

The CQI Fair will provide a unique experience for attendees to learn about the contributions the CQIs have made to health care throughout the past 25 years. It will also address opportunities for future collaborations focused on obesity management and other areas, including surgical care, cardiovascular health, chronic disease management, hospital medicine, care transitions and emergency department best practices.

The Obesity Summit will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 23 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. Experts will present best practices for obesity management in behavior modification, diet, pharmacology and surgery.

“Michigan has one of the highest rates of obesity in the nation, and the Obesity Summit is a great opportunity to raise awareness about the growing epidemic, as well as quality improvement interventions to reverse these dangerous trends in obesity,” said Faris Ahmad, M.D., medical director, Value Partnerships. “I am confident that through collaboration with our CQI partners across the state, we can have a significant impact on decreasing obesity and improving health.”

MBSC’s goal is to improve the quality of care for patients undergoing bariatric surgery in Michigan. It examines data and designs and implements changes in surgical care to improve outcomes.

“For the past 15 years, the MBSC has been dedicated to advancing the science and practice of bariatric surgery through collaboration and quality improvement,” said Oliver Varban, M.D., director of MBSC’s bariatric surgery program. “The Obesity Summit will not only bring together numerous specialists involved in obesity care but also CQIs with a proven track record of making a real impact on communities across Michigan.”

The summit will welcome health care providers, including bariatric specialists, primary care physicians and ancillary staff. It’s not intended for the general public. Attendees will:

• Gain an understanding of state-of-art approaches to addressing obesity in the outpatient setting.
• Realize the potential for improving patient outcomes in a more holistic, integrative approach.
• Achieve a better understanding of surgical management of the obese patient, including treatment options prior to referral for surgical treatment, appropriate indications for surgery, and how to best optimize care of the surgical patient
• Learn about virtual care of patients with obesity.

Continuing education credits will be available. For more information or to register, contact Amanda Stricklen at mbsc.help@umich.edu.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.