The department of surgery at my hospital, Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, decided the financial success of our bariatric program hinged on gaining accreditation as a Center of Excellence. You may recall that the federal government ruled in February that Medicare would reimburse only for reasonable and necessary bariatric procedures performed in facilities recognized as Centers of Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery or as Accredited Bariatric Surgery Centers by the American College of Surgeons. The classifications ensure that bariatric programs fulfill high quality levels in many different areas, and that's attractive to patients and referring physicians alike. Here's how we got our program certified.