Our Team
We have an integrated staff of professionals: Physicians,nursing staff, patient coordinator, patient counselors and dietitians. Patients and their physicians have access to a program professional or physician, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A Center of Excellence

We are a Center of Excellence, as designated by The American Society for Bariatric Surgery. We are also a Center of Excellence for United Resource Network and a National Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric for Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

With Surgical Weight Loss at FVRH, you not only lose weight, but you may keep it off for good.* Our program:

* Evaluates your health.
* Identifies obesity-related complications (such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease)and works * to treat them.
* Helps you establish your weight loss goals.
* Works with you to design a comprehensive weight loss program that usually involves a combination of diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes as well as psychological counseling and support.
* Monitors your progress.
* Helps you consider whether you may be a candidate for additional treatment methods, medication or weight-loss surgery.
* Discuss potential risks of surgical weight loss.

*Individual results may vary.

	Left to Right: Dr. Philip Chin, Dr. Peter LePort (Medical Director), Dr. Kelly Francis and Dr. Mir Ali

Support Groups
Our program offers four support group meetings every month (Thursday evenings, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm). The Support Group meetings are held at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital in the Saltzer Conference Room. The meetings are open both to those considering surgery and to those who have had the surgery, and are led by our program clinical psychologist, Diane LeMont, Ph.D.
At support group meetings, we encourage discussion of any topic of interest for our patients. After any bariatric surgical procedure, including gastric bypass, there is a greater probability of long-term success if physical, psychological and relationship issues are acknowledged and discussed. The significant physical and behavioral changes that result from the surgery are only part of the adjustment. For most obese people, emotional and psychological factors have contributed to the obesity and/or have resulted from it. Losing weight may help lessen or eliminate some of these, but not necessarily all issues. Also, new emotional factors may arise for both you and those around you, as you start feeling differently about yourself and others react to real or perceived changes in your personality and lifestyle.

Our support groups provide a supportive environment where every concern is treated with respect, including:

* Who to tell about your surgery
* Getting through the first days after surgery
* Variations in recovery experiences
* Eating and recipe ideas
* Stress management
* Dealing with saboteurs (innocent and not so innocent)
* Pros and cons of being smaller
* Managing anxiety
* Assertive communications
* Changing relationships

For a free consultation with a Surgical Weight Loss at FVRH Patient Counselor, call toll-free, 877-966-3391.