The ASMBS Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence program began in 2004 to advance the safety, efficacy and efficiency of bariatric and metabolic surgical care. The designation was given to both the facility and to its individual surgeon, Ryan Heider, MD, medical director of the Center for Surgical Weight Loss at Lake Norman.

To earn the center of excellence designation, Lake Norman Regional Medical Center provided information on all aspects of its bariatric surgery program and processes, including data on its surgical outcomes.