Spectrum Health Hosts Web Chat on Bariatric Surgery

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., April 4, 2012 – Everyone knows bariatric surgery helps people shed unwanted weight, but can it also help with diabetes and metabolic disease? Recent research seems to support this potential benefit.

Jon Schram, MD, Spectrum Health Medical Group, will be available to answer questions about the benefits and risks of bariatric surgery on Wednesday, April 11, from noon to 1 p.m. during an online chat at spectrumhealth.org/onlinechat.

Schram is a board certified surgeon specializing in bariatric surgery. He treats patients at his office located in Holland, and performs surgeries at Spectrum Health Zeeland Community Hospital.

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of nine hospitals including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, a state of the art children’s hospital that opened in January 2011, and 190 service sites; the Spectrum Health Medical Group and West Michigan Heart, physician groups totaling more than 600 providers; and Priority Health, a health plan with 625,000 members. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer with more than 18,000 employees. The organization provided $176.5 million in community benefit during its 2011 fiscal year.