University Hospital in Newark, in partnership with Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, announced the launch of a new multidisciplinary Weight Management Center. The center aims to bring medical and surgical services together with personalized care and support teams for a holistic approach to weight loss.
“We are incredibly proud to announce the official opening of the Rutgers Weight Management Center at University Hospital,” Ed Jimenez, CEO and president of University Hospital, said. “We are confident that this care approach will result in healthier patients and provide support for individuals suffering from obesity and health complications related to being overweight. We are hopeful to improve patient outcomes for years to come.”
The new Weight Management Center, which will be housed in a newly renovated space at Doctors Office Center, 90 Bergen St., Suites 2100 and 2300, combines a renowned team of multidisciplinary board-certified obesity medicine physician specialists, endocrinologists, bariatric surgeons, advanced bariatric endoscopists, behavioral health specialists, nutritionists and patient navigators.
“The goal behind a collaborative center is to help shift the paradigm in how we approach a condition as complicated as obesity,” Dr. Dhvani Doshi, medical director of the Weight Management Center, said. “With combined expertise from multiple specialties and a broad spectrum of treatment options for obesity, the center will ensure all patient needs are met from the beginning to the end of their weight loss experience and, ultimately, enhance outcomes in the Essex County area.”
University Hospital’s surgical program offers sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass and lap gastric band for qualifying patients. The bariatric surgery program is one of many at University Hospital to utilize the state-of-the-art Davinci robot. For patients, the benefits of robotic surgery include smaller incisions and reduced risk of infection, shorter hospitalization, reduced pain and discomfort, faster recovery time and return to normal activities, minimal scarring and reduced blood loss.
“The most popular bariatric procedure we see is the sleeve gastrectomy,” Dr. Daniel Jones, chair, Department of Surgery, and chief of service at University Hospital, said. “It trims the stomach from the size of a cantaloupe to the size of a banana and patients are able to go home the next day. Most patients lose 65% or more of their excess weight.”
The launch of the center also coincides with the introduction of “MyApp” a user-friendly mobile application designed to keep patients looped into all aspects of their health care. The app will consolidate essential post- and preoperative information, as well as a general portal with contact information, messaging capabilities and important health resources. Reflecting University Hospital’s diverse community, the app will be fully functional in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, and others. The hospital plans to expand “MyApp” to other clinical areas later in the year.
