Patients interested in weight-loss surgery can see surgeon in Loveland

LOVELAND, Colo. (Oct. 20, 2010) – Patients in the Loveland area now have access in their own community to an experienced advanced laparoscopic surgeon who specializes in treating morbid obesity with minimally invasive surgery.

Bariatric surgeon Michael Johnell, MD, leads the Bariatric Center of Excellence at North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, which along with McKee is part of Banner Health. He performs surgery at NCMC. For the convenience of patients in the Loveland area, Dr. Johnell will offer initial consultations and follow-up appointments beginning Nov. 1 at Aspen Medical Center, 2923 Ginnala Drive. His offices hours in Loveland will be 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Mondays. To schedule an appointment, call (970) 378-4433 or toll-free at (866) 569-5926.

Dr. Johnell’s Greeley clinic is at 1800 15th St. Suite 200. The Lafayette office is in the Community Physicians Pavilion, 300 Exempla Circle Suite 200.

Dr. Johnell has 25 years of general surgery experience, 20 years of advanced laparoscopic surgery experience, and 10 years of laparoscopic bariatric surgery experience.

He is a native of Long Island, N.Y., and came to Colorado in 2001 to develop his own bariatric surgery program.

He completed his undergraduate work at Hofstra University in Long Island, N.Y., and attended Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C. He completed general surgery residency training at New York University, New York City, and Rutgers Medical School, New Brunswick, N.J. He went on to St. Louis University, St. Louis, Mo., for a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery. Dr. Johnell is board certified in general surgery by the American Board of Medical Specialties, is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and is a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

For more information about the bariatric surgery clinic, please visit www.bannerhealth.com/NCMCbariatrics.