Our Patient Support: Your Keys to Success
Support Groups
There are many aspects of recovering and transitioning from surgery into your new life that best come from someone who has been there. Through the Health for Life Center, New Dimensions offers a forum for patients to relate to one another while also providing useful information. These support group meetings are for patients who are pre- OR post-surgery and have had ANY weight loss surgical procedure. This support group is offered with the following schedule:
1st Thursday of Every Month – “What’s on your Mind Support Group?” at 7:00pm
This group is an open forum. Topics are suggested BY patients FOR patients.
3rd Saturday of Every Month – “Weight Loss Surgery Continuing Education Class” at 10:00am
This class will feature guest speakers presenting various topics alternating with cooking lessons led by dietitians.
For 3rd Saturday Class TOPICS, please check the website
www.HealthForLifeCenter.com
All classes will be held at: Health For Life Center
Methodist Corporate Office
8109 Fredericksburg Road
2nd Floor
(210) 575-8111
Pre-Operative Preparation Course
One of the most significant aspects of success after weight loss surgery is understanding of the emotional, physical, and social challenges a patient can face.
Volunteers and medical professionals are coming together to offer a preparation course which will provide education and counseling to our patients in the pre-operative phase, to help alleviate any concerns patients may have related to weight loss surgery. This course will provide general information, discuss post-operative situations, and help patients integrate new habits into their lifestyle even before surgery.
Watch here for more details as the course gets underway at the end of 2009.
Post-Operative Meet & Greet
The transition from pre-op to post-op can be exciting and challenging. Following surgery, patients will have the opportunity to attend a “Meet and Greet” to interact with other patients who underwent surgery in the same timeframe. During the get-together, a volunteer will speak to the patients about their own continuing bariatric experience and answer any questions that recent post-operative patients may have. A dietitian will provide needed nutritional information.
Watch here for more details as the “Meet and Greet” schedule begins at the end of 2009.
Patient Focus / Mentor Program
Throughout the weight loss process, many patients wish they had a “buddy” to call on who has shared similar experiences. Friends and family are able to lend support, but sometimes it takes the wisdom of another who has the same trials and shares the same goals to help you find the answers you seek.
New Dimensions is developing this unique-to-bariatrics program for the convenience and support of our patients. Through this program, new patients will be able to find a “buddy” and talk to them about any concerns, questions, or achievements they have through their weight loss journey.
Several New Dimensions patients have graciously volunteered to participate in the “Mentor Program” and to provide individual support to our patients who request this service.
Participation is limited as this program grows. To check availability, please email Amanda Jones at amanda@ndwls.com.
Volunteer Advisory Board
New Dimensions has established a volunteer advisory and focus board, consisting of approximately 10 of our current patients. Each month, the board meets to discuss the effectiveness of our volunteer database, to evaluate material presented from volunteers to patients, to evaluate and provide opinions on select administrative processes, procedures, and materials, and to create new ways to provide better support to our patients. It is through these volunteers’ dedication and experiences that New Dimensions is able to offer such helpful programs.
For more information on becoming a volunteer, please contact Amanda at (210) 558-2912 or e-mail at amanda@ndwls.com.