TidalHealth’s Surgical & Nonsurgical Weight Loss Program

BERLIN, Md. – In this week’s Health Beat, brought to you by TidalHealth, WMDT spoke with nurse practitioner Angela Simmons about TidalHealth’s Surgical and Nonsurgical Weight Loss Program.

Simmons, who is based out of the Atlantic General Surgical Center in Berlin, says that surgeons perform in several different bariatric procedures ranging from the sleeve gastrectomy, to gastric bypass, to conversions from the gastric sleeve to the gastric bypass.

“Most people generally want to have overall improved health. They want to maybe get rid of some of their what we call co-morbidities or other medical issues,” said Simmons. “We offer a well-rounded approach to weight loss.”

The staff at the surgical center is diverse; comprised of surgeons, nurse practitioners, dieticians, and even volunteers that assist with support groups. This team works together to help evaluate what the best treatment plan for each individual patient is.

“There is a criteria that needs to be met for someone to be eligible for weight loss surgery. Currently the guidelines [require] at least a body mass index of 35 or greater, plus another health issue or risk,” explained Simmons. “If [a patient’s] BMI is right on the edge at 33 or 34, why don’t we try to work with some dietary changes and try a medication. They either maybe take off and they lose 50 or 70 pounds and they’re doing great; or they don’t do as well.”

Simmons says that when patients hit a wall in their weight loss journey, the team will have a meeting with the individual to reassess next steps. One-on-one meetings with surgeons are often recommended so patients can develop clear understandings of surgical weight loss options.

If you are interested in learning more about the Surgical and Nonsurgical Weight Loss Program, you can call the Atlantic General Office at (410)641-9568, or click here.