From Left to Right: Jomara J. Pena, RN, BSN, CBS, Clinical Patient Navigator; Jordaine Willilams, Surgical Schedular; Beth Coplan, RDN, CDCES, CCTD, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist; Alan A. Saber, MD, MS, FACS, FASMBS, ABOM, Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Program Director; Andrea Jobst, MS, RDN, CDN, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist; Jessica Vega PA-C, Physician Assistant; Michael Sierra, Data Analyst; Abi James, MD, Bariatric Surgery Fellow (team member not pictured, Monika Mahajan, MS, RD)
Newark, NJ, (July 11, 2023): Newark Beth Israel Medical Center’s Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery program has now performed more than 1,000 weight loss surgeries — 1,072 bariatric surgeries, to be exact.
The Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery program offers medical weight loss interventions including guided nutritional counseling, lifestyle modifications, obesity medications, and surgical interventions-- laparoscopic gastric sleeve surgery, laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery and laparoscopic revisional bariatric surgery.
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center’s Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery program has expanded and now offers these procedures to both adults and adolescents ages 15-18 years old as part of their Adolescent Bariatric Surgery Program. It is a destination Center of Excellence for metabolic and bariatric surgery in the region.
“In a short time, we have reached an important surgical milestone. I am very proud of the work that our multidisciplinary team of clinicians, nutritionists, nurses, physician assistants and social workers are doing to deliver to deliver the highest level of care to our patients,” said Alan A. Saber, MD, MS, FACS, FASMBS, ABOM, Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Program Director at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center’s Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery program is a Comprehensive Center accredited by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP®), a joint Quality Program of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
“The RWJBarnabas Health Bariatric Surgery program has changed the lives of countless patients through personalized care, an unwavering commitment to safety, and dedicated teams working tirelessly at facilities across the system,” said Dr. Ragui Sadek, Chief of Bariatric Surgery at RWJBarnabas Health. “Newark Beth Israel Medical Center’s important surgical milestone is another indicator of our system’s commitment to enhancing bariatric surgery and care for patients throughout the Newark region and beyond.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates about 93 million adults in the United States are affected by obesity and that number continues to increase. The disease of obesity increases the risks of morbidity and mortality because of the diseases and conditions that are commonly associated with it, such as type II diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, among other health risks. Metabolic and bariatric surgery has proven to be effective in the reduction of comorbid conditions related to obesity.
About Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, is a 665-bed regional care teaching hospital that provides comprehensive health care. Newark Beth Israel is a Top Teaching Hospital and home to one of the nation’s top 15 heart transplant centers, which has performed more than 1,100 heart transplants; RWJBarnabas Health’s Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program; New Jersey’s only Advanced Lung Disease and Transplant Program and a Valve Center that performs complex cardiac valve procedures, including minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVRs). Newark Beth Israel Medical Center is also home to Children’s Hospital of New Jersey (CHoNJ), which cares for children from birth through adolescence, with more than 30 specialized pediatric services including New Jersey’s largest Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders; and the Children’s Heart Center that offers a complete range of medical and surgical treatments for the most complex cardiac abnormalities. The Newark Beth Israel robotic surgery program is the most experienced in northern New Jersey. RWJBarnabas Health and The Frederick B. Cohen, MD, Comprehensive Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey Breast Health Center, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey - the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center - brings a world class team of researchers and specialists to fight alongside you, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials. Newark Beth Israel also offers many preventive health programs that promote wellness in the community, including The Beth Greenhouse, which provides access to fresh produce and health and wellness education to residents.