For residents on the quest to enjoy an improved quality of life through weight loss, comprehensive help in reaching those goals is just a phone call away.

For more than two years, the Nacogdoches Medical Center Weight Loss Center has helped residents throughout the region reach their weight loss goals and live better lives in the process. NMC has reaffirmed that commitment to helping local residents improve their quality of life through weight loss by recently earning accreditation through the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program.

“In the post COVID-19 era, in the age of GLP1 medications, endobariatric therapies and other management options for patients who suffer from obesity and associated diseases, this is a significant achievement for our team,” said Rodolfo J. Oviedo, MD, FACS, FRCS, FICS, FASMBS, DABS-FPDMBS, Medical Director of Bariatric Surgical Services and Robotics Program at NMC.

“Having a center that is fully accredited by the American College of Surgeons’ Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) is an extraordinary accomplishment for Nacogdoches Medical Center, for Nacogdoches, for the East Texas community, and all of us who believe in patient care with compassion and state-of-the-art expertise,” he said.

“With obesity playing a major factor in a wide array of critical health issues ranging from diabetes to stroke, there is no time like the present for those interested in losing weight and control or eradicate their obesity-associated diseases to consider options beyond traditional means of only diet and exercise,” Dr. Oviedo said.

“Obesity contributes heavily to metabolic syndrome, which can affect the entire body and can increase the risk of stroke, diabetes, and heart disease,” he said. “Surgical options offered here at NMC can be the most effective long-term tool for weight loss and a resolution for many of the health issues associated with obesity. Now is the best time to take control of your life and your health through weight loss and healthy eating.”

“Because the decision to choose a surgical solution for weight loss can often be both difficult and confusing, the MBSAQIP newly accredited NMC Weight Loss Center offers residents a bevy of opportunities to receive information and education on surgical weight loss,” Dr. Oviedo said.

“What we try to do is educate our patients on what the procedures are about, how they work, and how the associated changes can benefit their lives. We explain exactly what lifestyle changes are required to help make this procedure successful, because we are looking for long-term goals,” he said. “We want to make changes that last a lifetime.

People need help analyzing their lifestyles and dietary habits so they can make beneficial changes to help them reach their goals.”

Surgical weight loss procedures are accompanied by significant lifestyle changes to diet and exercise, and Dr. Oviedo said the MBSAQIP accredited NMC Weight Loss Center staff makes it a priority to accompany patients on their long-term weight loss journeys.

“Our program is special because we consider our patients as family, and that doesn’t end after surgery,” he said. “We are all focused on helping people achieve their health goals safely and live long, healthy lives.”

For more information on the NMC Weight Loss Center and its recent MBSAQIP accreditation, visit .