Kirsten Taylor, a nutritionist at Gateway Regional Medical Center, talks to a patient about lifestyle changes.
Gateway Regional Medical Center has added a pair of programs that will help residents in the Granite City and the Metro East areas improve on their health and quality of life.
The hospital introduced a bariatrics program in February and has started an orthopedic spine program over the summer.
“As much as we can provide to the Granite and surrounding communities, we’re our area’s community hospital and we want to provide as many services to the community we can,” said Beth Ann Gailey, GRMC’s director of public relations and marketing. “We’re always looking for what the community wants and needs. So we often talk to the community about what’s the next thing they’re looking for.”
Now, GRMC is looking to add two more programs before the year comes to a close.
“We have an otolaryngologist who is coming on at the middle of September and a female OB/GYN who will be starting as well,” chief operating officer Zachary Chapman said.
The bariatrics program, headed by Dr. Howard Lederer, helps patients avoid obesity.
“It’s a true lifestyle change,” Gailey said. “This isn’t something that we take lightly. It includes meetings with a dietitian and psychologists. They’re important to know because we want to know that you’re going to succeed and we want to give you all of the tools to succeed. So these processes are important.”
The program has seminars that last about an hour. The next seminar is scheduled for Aug. 29.
“Those seminars will be handed out in a monthly basis,” Chapman said. “If somebody can’t make one, we’ll have a different seminar every month to educate the patient population in regards to services. Once they’re ready to make that lifestyle choice, we’ll be able to provide that service for them.”
Daniel Winkle, director of practice management, said the bariatrics program is important for people who want to have a healthy lifestyle.
“Across our nation, we are in an obesity crisis,” he said. “Our health care system is getting hammered by people with issues with obesity and that’s one of the reasons why this program is very important. It helps gets the community healthier in some aspects.”
The orthopedic spine program is headed by Dr. Jonathan Workman, who started on July 22.
“There isn’t a full-time spine surgeon in the Metro East area,” Gailey said. “You get a couple who are coming over here for one day, every other week or every two weeks. We know the importance of having a doctor who is dedicated to the Metro East region and we’re going to bring those specialists to you.”
Gailey said area residents don’t have to drive across the river to St. Louis to get help.
“I get the dedication to this community,” she said. “Granite is a very close-knit type of community and we want to serve it, so these are programs that the community has asked for. We tried to get them in and we finally got them here for that community.”
Anyone who wants to sign up for the bariatrics program can call Gailey at (618) 798-3167.
History of Gateway Regional Medical Center
Founded in 1900 as a private facility
Acquired in 1920 by a Rev. Peter Paul Kaenders, Pastors of St. Mark Catholic Church in Venice
The Religious Sisters of the Congregation of Divine Providence paid $50,000 to purchase it and began operating it at St. Elizabeth Hospital in 1921
Renamed Gateway Regional Medical Center in 2001