Erlanger Health System is hosting the first annual Erlanger Metabolic Symposium on Friday, Oct. 20, at The Westin Chattanooga.
This inaugural event offers healthcare professionals in the Chattanooga region an opportunity to network with other professionals that have a passion for treating individuals with the disease of obesity and obesity-related health complications. Presentations and a panel discussion with Erlanger physician specialists that work with the disease of obesity comprise the half day learning event. The symposium focuses on the latest trends in treating metabolic bariatric patients including a presentation on the impact of pharmaceuticals on the disease of obesity.
“We understand more about obesity today than we did 10 or 20 years ago,” said Dr. Jennifer Dooley, program director of Internal Medicine for the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga and certified bariatrician. “We recognize that obesity is a complex chronic disease with multiple causes and facets, much of which is out of the patient’s control. Obesity can contribute to other disease conditions. Sometimes our treatments of other conditions can even worsen the obesity problem itself, but then we do little to address the underlying cause of the conditions, which in many cases is obesity. When we address the underlying obesity, we often improve the secondary conditions, like diabetes or hypertension, as well.”
The symposium is followed by a vendor reception and wellness fair where new treatments and demonstrations are exhibited. In the evening, the Third Annual Celebrating Metabolic Milestones Dinner will feature patient success stories. Each story highlights information about the patient’s life both pre- and post-surgery, and features the patient walking the runway in celebration of their milestone achievements. This event gives potential patients and their family the opportunity to speak with current patients and several members of the medical team involved in different steps of the journey. During the event, the team will honor a health care provider who has made an impact on the care provided to Erlanger’s Bariatric patients.
The event is free but pre-registration is required. The education portion starts at 1 p.m. with the milestone event beginning at 6 p.m.For more information about the metabolic symposium or milestone event visit www.erlanger.org/milestones.