February is American Heart Month and we’d like to encourage you to take a moment to examine your current health needs, which may have been overlooked due to the demanding schedules throughout the pandemic. Now is the time to make sure that your health is a top priority.
Whether you are in the operating room, board room or school, Northside Hospital Surgery & Weight Management program is here to support you in living a healthier lifestyle and helping you to achieve weight loss goals.
Obesity is a chronic health issue that can increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, reflux disease, sleep apnea, infertility issues in some women, and contribute to joint pain.
“A healthy weight is the key to a healthy heart,” says Dr. Neelima Dachuri, a bariatric and internal medicine physician, who leads the medical weight loss program at Northside Hospital Surgery & Weight Management Center in Duluth.
"80% of heart disease can be prevented by choosing a healthier lifestyle, and by completing some form of cardiovascular activity weekly,” she said.
The Northside Hospital Surgery & Weight Management program offers weight loss surgery at our Northside Atlanta, Cherokee, Duluth, and Forsyth campuses. We also provide non-surgical medical weight loss and a Wellness 180 Program for adolescents ages 11 to 17 offered at our Duluth location. Currently, our program offers consultations for individuals who meet the following criteria:
Weight Loss Surgery: Candidates must have a BMI ≥ 40; or a BMI ≥ 30 with at least one obesity-related medical condition.
Medical Weight Loss:
- 18 years of age or older.
- BMI of 30 or a BMI of at least 27 with medical risks such as hypertension, diabetes, reflux, sleep apnea, etc.
Wellness 180:
- Must be 11-17 years old.
- BMI in the 95th percentile, or BMI in the 85th percentile with a co-morbid condition.
We want your New Year's goals to have long-term success. If you are looking to improve your overall quality of life, our program is a comprehensive resource for you.
For more information, please contact our local bariatric clinical coordinators:
Atlanta: Ginger Rock, BSN-R.N., CBN, BC, 404-845-5457
Cherokee: Staci Tanner, MSN, RN-BC, 770-224-2603
Duluth: Lisa Fratarcangeli-Stevenson, BSN, R.N., CBN, 678-312-6200
Forsyth: Paula Duncan, MSN, AGACNP-BC, CBN, 770-292-4726
Learn more about the Northside Hospital Surgery & Weight Management program.
