Meet the Staff

Dr. Jeffrey Rosen

Bariatric Surgeon: 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. 

   Dr. Allen Mikhail

Bariatric Surgeon:  Dr. Allen Mikhail is a surgeon at LifeWeigh Bariatrics with special interests in Laparoscopic Roux-en Y Gastric Bypass, Adjustable Gastric Banding, Sleeve Gastrectomy, Gastrointestinal Surgery and Endoscopic procedures.  His specialized training in Advanced Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic shows his dedication to minimally invasive surgery and committed interest in the treatment of obesity.  He is board-certified in surgery by the American Board of Surgery.  He has been the investigator on many research grants and has published numerous papers, abstracts and book chapters related to nutrition, laparoscopic gastrointestinal and bariatric surgery.  Memberships in professional and scientific societies include the American College of Surgeons, Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES).  

Certified Bariatric Nurse and Patient Care Liaison: Barb MacTaggart, RN, BSN, CBN has been with our bariatric group for over 5 years and has over 20 years experience in the nursing field. She has taught many nurses, medical assistants and other professionals on the care required for our patients.  Recently, Barb completed her bariatric nursing certification from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

Registered Nurse and Patient Care Liaison: Linda Tsampis, RN, MA, MFT is our nurse and 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 and Insurance Specialist: Barbie Bartolomei has been working for us in an administrative capacity for over 1 year including the functions of marketing, front office work and patient advocate.  Barbie also assists patients in the insurance process.

Administrative Assistant and Cardio Technician: Anne Grusak, CCT is a Certified Cardiology Technician with a background in echocardiology which she earned from the Allied Health Institute in Merrillville, Indiana. She is also trained in CLSI Venipuncture and Skin Puncture Procedures through Cross Country Education. Anne worked in cardiac rehabilitation before joining the LifeWeigh team in 2007.

Patient Advocate: PJ Stough joined the LifeWeigh team in Octoberof 2009. PJ had gastric bypass surgery July 21, 1999 and lost 162 pounds.  Inspired by the way surgery changed/saved her life, she began working with bariatric patients on an informal basis.  In 2002, she joined The Kane Center as their Bariatric Coordinator where she worked with patients, conducted informational seminars and ran support groups.  PJ has also worked as a manager of a weight loss program in Arlington Heights and started a Lap-Band program at a surgery center in Chicago.  She is a Certified Support Group Leader and a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC). For the past five years, she has also served as the Chairperson for the Northern Illinois Walk from Obesity.

Practice Manager: Gail R. Rosen, RN, BSN, MBA, MS 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, CPT 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 has recently earned her personal training certificate.

Dietitian: Dana Petersen, MS, RD, LDN is a registered and licensed dietitian who has a passion for nutrition, exercise and people.  She has clinical experience in weight management and bariatric surgery.  She enjoys giving presentations and developing new ways to make nutrition easy to understand and implement.  Dana graduated from Purdue University and completed her dietetic internship at the University of Houston.  Dana recently earned her Masters Degree in Nutrition and Wellness from Benedictine Unversity.  She has also attained a certificate of training in Adult Weight Management through the American Dietetic Association. 

Exercise Physiologist: Joey Bonavota, MS 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.