St. Joseph Medical Center, Tacoma St. Clare Hospital, Lakewood St. Francis Hospital, Federal Way St. Anthony Hospital, Gig Harbor Enumclaw Regional Hospital, Enumclaw News Media Contact: Gale Robinette P: (253) 426-4349 GaleRobinette@FHShealth.org  August 17, 2009 St. Francis Hospital recertified as Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way announced today that it has been recertified as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). This certification is for three years. In 2005, St. Francis became the first hospital in Washington State to achieve Center of Excellence status from the ASMBS. It is also the leading hospital-based provider of weight loss surgeries in the state with over 500 bariatric procedures performed during the 12-month period that ended June 30. Weight loss surgeries at St. Francis are performed by dedicated bariatric surgeons Ki Oh, MD, Thomas Hirai, MD, and C. Gabriel Alperovich, MD, of the Franciscan Medical Group; and Myur Srikanth, MD, a Federal Way-based community physician. “Our surgeons and staff are dedicated to the long-term health of every patient. This commitment to excellence distinguishes our program from all others,” says Diane Gray, a registered nurse and manager of the St. Francis Center for Weight Management. “We are very honored to be recertified as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence.” In addition to this Center of Excellence designation, St. Francis Hospital is accredited by the American College of Surgeons as a Level 1b Bariatric Center. This accreditation acknowledges the hospital as a provider of the highest level of bariatric care. St. Francis Hospital’s bariatric program is the only one in the state to be concurrently accredited by the American College of Surgeons and to be declared a Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery. Bariatric surgery benefits adults who are dangerously obese and who cannot achieve significant, permanent weight loss through diet and exercise alone. Morbid obesity often causes numerous health problems that can shorten life. ### Franciscan Health System is a private, non-profit organization that includes St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way; Franciscan Medical Group (a network of primary-care and specialty-care clinics and physicians); and Franciscan Hospice House. Franciscan is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit healthcare systems. Franciscan website: www.FHShealth.org.