This document provides information about Memorial Health Bariatrics, including their locations, insurance coverage options, office hours, types of weight loss surgeries offered, and free information sessions and support groups. It also introduces some of the doctors, nurse practitioners, and coordinators involved in the bariatric surgery program.

1. Hope is here.
4700 Waters Avenue
Memorial University Surgeons Building, First Floor
Savannah, GA 31404
3776 Highway 17
Richmond Hill, GA 31324
23630 Highway 80 East, Unit B
Statesboro, GA 30461
1707 Meadows Lane, Suite H
Vidalia, GA 30474
3226 Hampton Avenue, Suite F
Brunswick, GA 31520
912-350-DIET (3438) bariatrics.memorialhealth.com
Insurance and Payment Options
We participate with most major insurance carriers.
Many cover at least part of the cost of bariatric surgery.
When you attend a free information session, our staff
can confirm your plan’s coverage.
Office Hours
Our main office is located in the Memorial University Surgeons
Building, first floor. The office is open Monday through Thursday,
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Also, Oliver Whipple, M.D., sees patients in our
Vidalia, Brunswick, and Richmond Hill offices;
Robert Kelly, M.D., sees patients in our Brunswick office;
and Jody Hannah, M.S., PAC, sees patients in our
Brunswick, Statesboro, and Richmond Hill locations.
Jillian O’Malley, 29
TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS:
146 pounds in eight months
I’ve struggled with my weight since I was a teenager.
Even as a soldier in the Army I fought to keep my weight
down. Eventually, I found myself creeping very close to 300
pounds. I was miserable. I couldn’t play with my kids. I was
embarrassed to go out with my husband. Just going to the
grocery store was exhausting.
Lifewaspassingmeby,so,finally,Idecidedtodosomething
about it. I wanted to be the mom and wife my kids and
husbanddeserve.Ialwaysknewtherewasanathletestuck
insidethismorbidlyobesepersonand,aftersurgery,Ifound
her. I began competing in triathlons and I love it. Today I
embrace life and all it has to offer.
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Help is here.
Are you one of the 24 million Americans who are
considered morbidly obese? You may already be
experiencing some of the serious health conditions
associated with morbid obesity: diabetes,
hypertension, and sleep apnea. Morbid obesity
can result in disability or death.
Bariatric, or weight-loss, surgery may be the answer.
Memorial Health Bariatrics offers the region's only
comprehensive, multidisciplinary bariatric surgery
program. We have been designated a bariatric surgery
Center of Excellence by the Surgical Review Corporation
and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric
Surgery. This means we meet the rigorous standards
set forth by these respected organizations.

2. Types of Weight-loss Surgery
Bariatric surgery can help morbidly obese patients lose much
of their excess body weight. But it is only a tool. It is a way
to make the weight loss possible, but it is only successful
when used along with major lifestyle and eating changes.
Your success depends on how closely you follow the diet,
exercise, and vitamin requirements after surgery. The closer
you follow the regimen, the more successful you will be.
Based on your health, your surgeon will recommend
one of these procedures:
I Adjustable Gastric Band (Lap Band)
A small pouch is created by wrapping a plastic band
around the top of the stomach. Weight loss is slow
but steady. Most patients lose their weight over a
three-year period.
I Sleeve Gastrectomy
The stomach is trimmed into a narrow tube with a small
pouch at the bottom. The remaining stomach is removed.
Patients undergoing this procedure lose weight more
rapidly during the first year.
I Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
A small pouch is created from existing stomach tissue.
It is reattached to the small intestine, which limits the
body’s absorption of carbohydrates and various vitamins
and minerals. This restricts food intake and results in
rapid weight loss the first year after surgery.
Free Information Sessions
The decision to have weight-loss surgery requires a
significant commitment of your time and effort. The first
step is to attend a free information session. You will learn
more about the types of surgery we offer, the benefits and
risks of each procedure, and how Memorial Health Bariatrics
can help you transform your life. Information sessions are
presented monthly or bimonthly in five locations.
Register online at bariatrics.memorialhealth.com
and receive our free e-newsletter.
• Memorial GenerationOne
1100 Eisenhower Drive, Eisenhower Square, Suite 27-A
Savannah, Georgia
• Memorial Physicians’ Office
23630 Highway 80 East, Unit B, Statesboro, Georgia
• Meadows Wellness Center
101 Harris Industrial Boulevard, Vidalia, Georgia
• Memorial Physicians’ Office
3226 Hampton Avenue, Suite F, Brunswick, Georgia
• LaQuinta Inn & Suites-Hinesville/Fort Stewart
1740 East Oglethorpe Highway, Hinesville, Georgia
Free Support Groups
Our free bariatric support groups provide education and
support to help you get back on track. The groups are led by
Anisa Grantham, a licensed psychotherapist who serves as
bariatric coordinator for Memorial Health Bariatrics. She had
weight-loss surgery in 2002 and has kept the weight off.
First Wednesday of each month | 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Memorial GenerationOne
1100 Eisenhower Drive, Savannah, Georgia
Third Thursday of each month | 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Rincon Recovery Resources
613 Towne Park Drive West, Suite 103, Rincon, Georgia
Jody Hannah, M.S., PAC
Hannah is a certified physician assistant who
works with the physicians in all aspects of
patient care. Hannah also conducts public
information seminars and patient education
classes. She holds a Bachelor of Science
degree from Aurora University in Illinois and a Master of
Science physician assistant degree from South University in
Savannah. Hannah is a member of the Georgia Association
of Physician Assistants and does frequent volunteer work
in the community.
Robert J. Kelly Jr., M.D., FACS
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Kelly
receivedhismedicaldegreefromthe
University of Alabama School of Medicine.
He then completed his residency in general
surgery at Memorial University Medical
Center. Kelly served as a fellow and instructor in bariatric
and minimally invasive surgery at Vanderbilt University
Medical Center before joining Memorial Health Bariatrics.
Oliver Whipple, M.D., FACS
Medical Director
Whipple is certified by the American Board
of Surgery and is a member of the American
College of Surgeons. After earning his
undergraduate degree at the University
of Georgia, Whipple attended medical school at Mercer
University School of Medicine in Macon. He completed his
residency at Memorial University Medical Center and then
completed a laparoscopic fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic
in Florida. Whipple has earned numerous teaching awards
and is frequently called upon to lecture at surgical events.
The Faces of Hope
Anisa Grantham, LPC, NCAC
Grantham is a psychotherapist and
certified addiction counselor who serves
as bariatric coordinator. She works with
patients before and after surgery, including
those who struggle with regaining weight
or extended plateaus. She provides education and counseling
for food and sugar addiction and emotional eating patterns
and she leads our Success Habits Workshop, Back on Track
Program, and monthly support groups to help patients
stay on track with their weight loss. Grantham earned her
bachelor’s degree in psychology and Master of Education
degree in community counseling at Georgia Southern
University. She underwent successful bariatric surgery in
2002 and is credentialed as a bariatric life coach.
Ashley Brigdon, FNP
Brigdon, a family nurse practitioner, sees
bariatric and general surgery patients.
She earned her Master of Science in
nursing at Georgia Southern University
and her Bachelor of Science in nursing at
the Medical College of Georgia. She has cared for adults
and children in the hospital setting and worked as a
school nurse in Bulloch County.