News Release

CYPRESS, CA and RALEIGH, NC (August 16, 2011) – The AAGL, the world’s largest professional society for minimally invasive gynecology, today announced a center of excellence program for the specialty. The Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology (COEMIG) program is available to surgeons, hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers worldwide that provide minimally invasive gynecologic care on an inpatient or outpatient basis. Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), an independent healthcare quality organization dedicated to advancing the safety, efficacy and efficiency of surgical care, will administer the new program.

“The COEMIG program delivers on our vision to advance minimally invasive gynecology worldwide,” said Dr. Franklin D. Loffer, AAGL Executive Vice President and Medical Director. “The COEMIG designation process will strengthen the global network of healthcare providers dedicated to providing women with less invasive treatment options that lead to improved outcomes and fewer complications.”

With over 5,500 members located in more than 85 countries, the AAGL is recognized as a leader in women’s healthcare. The COEMIG program extends the society’s commitment to accelerating the adoption of minimally invasive gynecology, improving the safety and quality of gynecologic patient care worldwide, and lowering the overall costs associated with successful treatment. The program is also designed to expand patient awareness of – and access to – minimally invasive gynecologic procedures performed by surgeons and facilities that have demonstrated excellence in these advanced techniques.

“The COEMIG program challenges participants to establish a culture of excellent patient care, not simply to earn an award,” said Gary M. Pratt, Chief Executive Officer of SRC. “Our rigorous process is designed to facilitate continuous improvement in patient care. We applaud the AAGL for their commitment to healthcare quality and safety.”

COEMIG designation requirements were developed with the specialty’s leading surgeons and the AAGL’s Professional Interest Partner, the Council of Gynecologic Endoscopy (CGE), to address the needs of patients and providers. Through SRC’s innovative center of excellence approach, these comprehensive requirements are combined with a rigorous evaluation process that enables a thorough review of each designation candidate.

Surgeons, hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers performing minimally invasive gynecologic surgery can initiate their involvement in the COEMIG program by registering online.

About AAGL
The AAGL vision is to serve women by advancing the safest and most efficacious diagnostic and therapeutic techniques that provide less invasive treatments for gynecologic conditions through integration of clinical practice, research, innovation, and dialogue. The AAGL is the first and largest organization in the world dedicated to gynecologic endoscopic surgery. Founded in 1971, AAGL works to advance the safest and most efficacious diagnostic and therapeutic techniques that afford less invasive treatments for gynecologic conditions through the integration of clinical practice, research, innovation, and dialogue. For the past 40 years, the organization has educated the world’s finest surgeons while improving the lives of women everywhere. This global commitment to women’s health care is embodied in their continuing medical education of physicians and professionals to further promote the well-documented high standards of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. For more information about the AAGL, visit www.aagl.org (http://www NULL.aagl NULL.org/).

About Surgical Review Corporation
Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) is an independent, nonprofit organization governed by industry stakeholders and dedicated to advancing the safety, efficacy and efficiency of surgical care worldwide. Initially focused on bariatric and metabolic surgery, SRC has emerged as the world’s leading administrator of center of excellence programs for surgical specialties. The organization manages programs on behalf of top medical societies around the world, setting a global standard for excellence. To support center of excellence program compliance and quality improvement in patient care, SRC developed BOLD, a longitudinal outcomes database. BOLD is now the world’s largest repository of clinical patient data for the bariatric surgery specialty. For more information, visit www.surgicalreview.org.

Contact
Barbara Hodgson (bhodgson null@null aagl NULL.org)
AAGL
+1.800.554.2245

Odessa Hines
Surgical Review Corporation
+1.919.268.4975
(odessa NULL.hines null@null surgicalreview NULL.org)