Weight and Wellness Center

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Losing weight is a powerful, personal decision.

Choose a weight loss program that gives you choices.

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Our Weight and Wellness Center is home to a complete team of specialists providing comprehensive weight loss services to the Southeastern Massachusetts' community.

We’ll provide you with an individualized plan including surgical options, nutrition counseling and support groups.

When you’ve made the decision to lose weight, we’ll be with you every step of the way.

HEAR FROM OUR PATIENTS

Medical Weight Loss

A Comprehensive Approach

Our modern world offers a plethora of dietary choices, but not all of them benefit our metabolic health.

At Signature Healthcare's Metabolic Health and Wellness Center, we have crafted a unique approach to weight loss that caters to the complete individual.

The first visit with your weight loss provider is in a 90-minute shared medical visit setting. After this group informational session is complete, you'll attend 1-on-1 visits every 6-8 weeks until you reach your goal!

Here’s how we assist our patients:

Personalized Nutrition Guidance

  • Whole Foods Focus: Our nutritional guidance emphasizes whole foods, which are nutrient-dense and minimally processed.

  • Macronutrient Balance: We stress the importance of protein, healthy fats, and fiber. Each of these “macros” plays a vital role in satiety, strength, and metabolic optimization.

  • Limiting Harmful Ingredients: We advocate for reducing the intake of processed carbohydrates and refined sugars which can lead to metabolic disturbances like type II diabetes, fatty liver disease, and increased fat storage.

  • Individualized Plans: Everyone's body and needs are unique. We help you determine the right foods for your specific goals and body type. We provide you with recipes from day one!

Intermittent Fasting Protocols:

  • Harness your body's natural metabolic rhythms with strategic eating windows. Intermittent fasting can be an excellent tool when used appropriately and tailored to individual needs. Time-restricted eating is not for everyone, so risks and benefits to this weight loss tool will be discussed during personalized 1-on-1 sessions with your provider.

Sleep and Recovery Counseling:

  • Good metabolic health is intertwined with proper rest. Our providers can guide you on optimizing your sleep patterns for best metabolic performance.

Activity Regimens

  • Crafted with your individual health needs, capacities, and goals in mind. We understand that the right kind and amount of exercise can make a world of difference in metabolic health. The formal recommendation by the American Heart Association is 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise with 2+ days of strength training. We will work with you to formulate a reasonable activity plan and scale up as tolerated.

Medication Management and Guidance:

  • We offer a thorough understanding of medications available for weight management, including transformative drugs like GLP-1 agonists (i.e. Wegovy, Ozempic, Semaglutide, Mounjaro, and Saxenda).

  • Our team formulates the best regimen for your needs, ensuring efficacy and safety. We will work with your insurance company on Prior Authorizations to attempt to obtain full coverage for any weight loss medication you may be prescribed.

Mental Health and Emotional Well-Being:

  • The journey to optimal health is both physical and emotional. Our team offers support in understanding and managing the emotional aspects of weight and health, ensuring a holistic healing process. We also have a team of mental health workers available for you to consult with.

Surgical Weight Loss

For many patients, weight loss surgery may be the best long-term solution. Laparoscopic gastric bypass and vertical sleeve gastrectomy are the primary surgical procedures performed at the Weight and Wellness Center.

The operations are performed laparoscopically, which means smaller scars, faster and safer recovery and fewer complications.

Patients who are contemplating weight loss surgery must be prepared to make significant changes in eating and lifestyle patterns — changes that will last a lifetime. Weight loss surgery provides the extra help most people with extreme obesity need, but patients need to realize that surgery is merely a "tool." The surgery is part of a comprehensive treatment plan including other components such as regular exercise, healthy food choices and close, ongoing contact with members of the healthcare team.

At Signature Healthcare we offer the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy and the Roux-en-y Gastric Bypass

Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy

During the procedure, a thin vertical sleeve of stomach, or “tube” is created using a stapling device and removing the outer portion of the stomach. The sleeve will hold approximately 2-3 ounces. This procedure results in weight loss up to 50-60% of excess weight.

Roux-en-y Gastric Bypass

During this operation, the surgeon separates the stomach into two sections with a stapling device. This creates a small working section on top, called the pouch, which is then connected to the small intestines. This pouch will become the new stomach and has the capacity of 1-2 oz of food. This procedure results in weight loss up to 65% of excess weight.

Meet the Team

  • Dr. Henry Lin
  • Dr. John Mitko
Henry Lin

Dr. Henry Lin

Board Certification:

American Board of Surgery

Internship

Basic Surgery – Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD)

San Diego, CA

Fellowship

Minimally Invasive & Bariatric Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/ Harvard Medical School

Boston, MA

Education

Medical School

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD

Residency

General Surgery – Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD)

San Diego, CA

John Mitko

Dr. John Mitko

Board Certification:

Diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine

American Board of Surgery 

Fellowship

Bariatric/Advanced GI Minimally Invasive Surgery
Summa Health, Department of Surgery, Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery, Akron, OH

Education

Medical School

Ross University School of Medicine, Portsmouth, DM

Residency

General Surgery, TriHealth Good Samaritan, Department of Surgery, Cincinnati, OH

Do I Qualify for Surgery?

Qualifications for bariatric surgery in most areas include:

  • BMI ≥ 40, or more than 100 pounds overweight.
  • BMI ≥ 35 and at least one or more obesity-related co-morbidities such as type II diabetes (T2DM), hypertension, sleep apnea and other respiratory disorders, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, osteoarthritis, lipid abnormalities, gastrointestinal disorders, or heart disease.
  • Inability to achieve a healthy weight loss sustained for a period of time with prior weight loss efforts.

For example, an adult who is 5'11 tall and weighs 290 lbs would have a BMI over 40.

BMI Calculator

Which weight loss option should I choose?

There are a number of factors to consider when choosing what weight loss option will be best for you, including your BMI and lifestyle.

Obesity Treatment Guide

Treatment

Behavioral Modifications

  • Diet
  • Exercise

Medical Weight Loss

  • Diet
  • Exercise
  • Medication

Surgical Weight Loss
25-26.9 Comorbidities
27-29.9 +/- Comorbidities +/- Comorbidities -
30-34.9 + +/- Comorbidities With Comorbidities
>40 + + +

Weight Loss Resources

Beverage and Protein Products

Products are available to purchase in our office.

  • Vitamins & Probiotics
  • Protein Shakes
  • Protein Chips
  • and more!

Journaling

It is an important way to keep on track. Writing on a paper pushes your eating awareness to a new level. Did you know people who keep food records are the most successful with weight loss?

Download a Lifestyle Journal from one of the websites listed below:

Our Patients



“Kimberley suffered from high blood pressure and needed to use her inhaler constantly. “I knew my health was declining, and I wanted to make the right steps toward a healthier lifestyle, but was unsure exactly how.” She spoke to a friend who had undergone Bariatric Surgery at the Weight and Wellness Center at Signature Healthcare, who recommended the program. Since receiving Gastric Bypass surgery in December 2017, Kimberley has lost 156 lbs. “Before the surgery, I prepared my body by beginning to eat differently. I learned info about carbs, counting calories and sugar, what I should be eating more of and less of. And, as part of post-op care, I continue to meet with the nutritionist in the program.”



“Ida had a great relationship with her primary care provider Dr. Girard. When she reached over 220 pounds, Dr. Girard referred her to the medical weight loss program at Signature Healthcare. Already in her 60s, she just wasn’t sure surgery was right for her, and wanted to try the plan of protein powder, vitamins and eating differently first. After a few years of trying a different mix of prescriptions and eating plans, she was just out of reach of where she wanted to be. Together with her doctor, Ida decided surgery might be the option to get her there.”

When you’re ready,
we’re here to help.

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