Our Staff practices a comprehensive holistic team approach with multi-disciplinary medical caregivers who participate in the diagnosis and ongoing treatment of overweight patients. Our Mission is to assist each patient in achieving their weight loss and health objectives through comprehensive surgical care and education of unmatched quality and value.
INTRODUCING THE LIFEWEIGH STAFF:
Bariatric Physician: Dr. Octavio Lopez, MD, FACP Dr. Octavio M. Lopez is certified by the American Board of Bariatric Medicine and the American Board of Internal Medicine.He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and an assistant clinical professor of the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He is a member of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians, the American Obesity Association, the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, and the American College of Physicians. He is also a frequent lecturer to medical professionals on issues related to obesity and medicine. Dr. Lopez also has a deep concern for patients dealing with weight problems, since he has also suffered from obesity in the past.
Jeffrey Rosen, MD, FACS, MBA
Bariatric Surgeon: Dr. Jeffrey Rosen, MD, FACS, MBA Dr. Jeffrey Rosen is the lead surgeon for LWB. He is board-certified in general surgery and has been in practice for over 13 years. Dr. Rosen has taught Bariatric surgery to many surgeons around the country. He has been involved in almost 1000 weight loss surgeries. He has also served as Co-medical director in the Trauma department at Good Samaritan Hospital in the past. His dedication to advancing knowledge of surgical techniques and technology are reflected in his active memberships in various medical associations including American Society of Bariatric Surgery, the Society for Critical Care Medicine, the Society for American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons, and the Chicago Medical Society. In the academic arena, Dr. Rosen is an Affiliate Clinical Instructor at the Midwestern University College of Osteopathic Medicine, and his research has been published in various medical publications, including the Journal of Trauma and Surgical Endoscopy. Dr. Rosen received his medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he also served his residency.
Patient Care Liaison: Barb MacTaggart, RN, BSN, CBN
Patient Care Liaison: Linda Tsampis, RN, MA, MFT Linda is our nurse, patient care coordinator for the Merrillville, Indiana office. Linda received her degree in Nursing from Indiana University. She received a Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, is a Doctoral Candidate, and completed all but her dissertation at the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, Illinois. With over twenty-five years in the medical field, Linda has combined her extensive background in Behavioral Health with the field of nursing. She has specialized for the past ten years in Disease Management, counseling individuals to be the best they can be in body, mind, and spirit.
Administrative Assistant: Barbie Bartolomei Barbie has been working for us in an administrative capacity for over 1 year including the functions of marketing, front office work and patient advocate
Practice Manager: Gail R. Rosen, RN, BSN, MBA, MS Gail is our practice manager and has extensive clinical experience in the Intensive Care Unit, Cardiac Care Units at several hospitals in Indiana and Illinois. Gail has received a Master of Science and Master in Business Administration from University of St Francis.
Dietitian: Sherrill Johnson, RD, LDN: Sherrill has over twelve years of experience educating and counseling patients in the area of weight management. Sherrill did her undergraduate degree in Food and Nutrition at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and completed her dietetic internship at Hines VA Hospital. Sherrill is also passionate about fitness and is working on her personal training certificate.
Registered Dietitian: Briana Hanson, RD, LDN Briana is our dietitian who has a long standing interest in weight management and bariatrics. Briana completed her undergraduate degree in nutrition and dietetics and has a minor in gerontology at Northern Illinois University in 2002. Briana completed her dietetic internship at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Her area of expertise includes weight loss, diabetes and heart disease. Briana has been happily married since 2003 and recently welcomed her first child in October of 2006.
Exercise Physiologist: Joey Bonavota, MS Joey has been working in the field of bariatrics since 2002. He is an alumni of Eastern Illinois University, where he received both his Bachelor and Masters degree in the field of exercise science. He has also gained practical experience in the field of cardiac rehabilitation. When his is not working in the clinic, you can usually find him promoting various clothing lines, hosting parties and events, and modeling in hair and fashion shows. Joey brings a unique prospective into the field of exercise science through these previous endeavors. He has a restless schedule but he wouldn’t want it any other way.