Lee’s Summit Medical Center’s bariatric program has recently moved from an off-campus location to a brand new, state-of-the-art facility in their new medical office building. The change will give the bariatrics program a larger, updated space and more capabilities to treat patients.
The hospital’s bariatric program allows patients who live in the community access to treatment closer to home instead of driving to Kansas City.

“We are pleased that Lee’s Summit Medical Center is expanding the level of quality care for the residents of Lee’s Summit and surrounding communities,”

“We are pleased that Lee’s Summit Medical Center is expanding the level of quality care for the residents of Lee’s Summit and surrounding communities,” said Rick McDowell, Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council President & CEO. “Access to healthcare is a significant contributor to the quality of life in our community and we are fortunate to have tremendous health resources in Lee’s Summit.”

Lee’s Summit Medical Center’s bariatric program has six providers who perform various types of surgical and non-surgical procedures. Combined, its physicians have more than 35 years of experience. Some of the specialists even hold patents for their own surgical inventions.

Dr. John Tann is one of the bariatric surgeons at Lee’s Summit Medical Center. He said bariatric treatment can greatly reduce the risk of developing chronic conditions such as sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. In some cases, such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes, bariatric treatment has even been shown to cure certain conditions.

“My passion is to treat patients with metabolic disease.”

“My passion is to treat patients with metabolic disease and the main side effect we see from that is excess weight. I have many tools to use that will help patients reach their goals of leading a healthier lifestyle from diet modifications, nutritional support, medication and minimally invasive procedures and surgery. Lee’s Summit Medical Center gives us access to the latest in technology and resources,” said Tann.

Dr. Tann said that because people are so unique, each patient requires a personalized treatment plan to be successful in their weight loss journey. In addition to its bariatrics physicians, the bariatrics program at Lee’s Summit Medical Center also offers one-on-one meetings with a bariatric nurse coordinator who helps patients plan their care plan and connect them with resources and services.

Generally, Dr. Tann said that non-surgical options, such as a gastric balloon or endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, can begin to be beneficial to patients when their body mass index is greater than 30. For patients with a greater BMI, more treatment options are available.

Lee’s Summit Medical Center said the need for bariatric services is growing, especially after seeing how people with bariatric conditions were disproportionately negatively impacted by COVID-19. It hopes the new location can increase access, and offer more specialty services and advanced care to the community.

To learn more about Lee’s Summit Medical Center’s Bariatric program, visit https://leessummitmedicalcenter.com/service/weight-loss-surgery.