Page 56 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2016

HEALTHY LIVING gastric sleeve surgery WEIGHTLOSS
WITHINREACH Nurse travels from East Central Mississippi for weight loss surgery
at South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center
story by Susan Ruddiman photos by John Stricklin and courtesy of Angela Cates
DR. WILLIAM AVARA, III
Angela Delaney Cates had struggled to lose weight for years, and when she was finally able to look into surgical weight loss, she turned to South Missis- sippi Surgical Weight Loss Center in Ocean Springs. Angela lives in Collinsville, a town of about 2,000 in East Central Mississippi.
“I had been wanting to have bariatric surgery for a long time, but I felt like it was so far out of my reach,” she said.
When her husband, Timmy Cates, obtained a job off-shore, the family was added to his health insurance. That was when Angela found out such surgery would be covered by their new health policy. At that time, weight loss surgery was only offered in three locations in Mississippi. The couple selected Ocean Springs because the Coast is one of their favorite places to visit.
She started her journey by attending a free informational seminar at the South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss Center in December 2013. “I had a consultation with a doctor that day. He said I was a candidate, and they would start the process. I didn’t do anything but sit back,” Cates said.
Lorraine Rauls, FNP-BC, program director at the center, works hard to minimize any additional trips to the clinic for patients who drive long distances to participate in the accred- ited program. “This is not always possible, but we strive to minimize travel for visits as much as insurance requirements allow,” Rauls said.
In addition, the center provides an online information semi- nar for those interested in learning what types of bariatric sur- gery options the center offers, as well as detailed information regarding these offerings. This seminar is typically required
by most insurance companies as the first step in the patient process.
56 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • December 2016
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