When you are a patient at the Weight Center, you can expect expert treatment for obesity as a disease. We personalize care tailored to your goals, needs, and preferences. We provide:
- Supportive care: Our health coaches are trained in obesity medicine. They believe that care starts with listening, empathy, and understanding. During your first visit, your health coach will ask you about your goals, preferences, perspectives, and health journey so far. This information helps us develop a treatment plan that fits your needs.
- Education: We help you understand obesity as a disease, removing the stigma surrounding the condition. We work with you to create a personalized treatment plan.
- Access to advanced treatment options: Our providers will connect you with the latest evidence-based treatment options, including:
- Multidisciplinary care: We take a comprehensive approach to treatment. Depending on your unique needs, your Weight Center care team may include providers and staff from bariatric surgery and bariatric endoscopy, as well as others across various specialties.
How to prepare for your first visit
Before your first visit, you will need to complete a health questionnaire, which will be sent to you through myDH, our online patient portal.
You will also need to provide:
- Your health insurance information
- A referral, if required by your health insurance company
- Copies of your medical records, which can be sent electronically by your referring healthcare provider
- A list of any medications you are taking
What to expect at your first visit with a health coach
When you arrive, our office staff will check you in and scan a copy of your health insurance card.
You will meet with one of our health coaches (in person or via telehealth), who will:
- Ask about your health history, including how your weight has impacted your life, and discuss your goals, preferences, and perspectives
- Discuss the treatment options we offer
- Educate you on obesity as a disease
- Help you navigate insurance coverage for anti-obesity medications, like GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) agonists
What is the purpose of the first visit with a health coach?
This visit provides an overview and introduction to the Weight Center. Our health coaches help patients navigate care and encourage them to participate directly in managing their condition. This first visit establishes your care with our team and is required.
During this visit, our health coaches will explain the structure of the Weight Center and describe how each provider's role serves your care journey. This first appointment makes follow-up visits more efficient and can answer many of your questions.
The health coach will also evaluate you for any emergent complications of obesity, which might affect the scheduling of provider visits.
How long will my first visit be?
Your first visit will last approximately one hour.
What happens after my first visit?
After your first visit with a health coach, you will be scheduled for a visit with one of our weight management providers. This provider will:
- Review your questionnaire, medical history, labs, relevant imaging, and current medications
- Assess you for clinical obesity, including:
- Signs or symptoms of obesity
- Limitations of daily activity
- Body impedance analysis (BIA), a test used to assess body composition to estimate the amount of fat, muscle, and water in the body
- Waist circumference
- A physical exam
- Order standard tests or imaging to assess your current health status
- Collaborate with you on a personalized treatment plan focused on improving health
- Review treatment options. These may include any combination of:
- Anti-obesity medicines
- Endoscopic and bariatric interventions
- Targeted lifestyle changes
- Refer you to supportive healthcare services, such as nutrition, behavioral health, and health coaching, if needed. These can take the form of individual appointments or group classes.
Your Weight Center care team will work together to coordinate care that fits your needs.