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Very little has changed in my approach to bariatrics since we started our clinic in 2005. We believe that morbid obesity is a chronic, relapsing, multifactorial lifelong condition. Therefore, it must be treated and monitored throughout the life of the patient using multiple therapies. \n Our entire practice is geared toward finding the best weight management program for each individual patient, be that lifestyle management, medical management, surgical management or a combination. \n Our clinic has pioneered many advancements in bariatrics. I was the first surgeon to perform the sleeve gastrectomy in the Charlotte region, and our clinic was also one of the first in the country to have its own registered dietitian, exercise physiologist and behavioral counselor. In 2013, 11 years after completing my fellowship in bariatric surgery, I became board-certified in bariatric medicine to offer a more comprehensive approach to treating obesity. \n Over the years, I have been involved in many clinical research projects and trials to develop new surgical techniques, trial devices and equipment and to study new protocols to improve patient outcomes and advance the field of bariatrics. Most recently, we have been studying a new revisional surgery technique, a device to decrease wound infection and a program to optimize patients prior to orthopedic and spine surgery. \n I'm most proud of our clinic becoming the first Bariatric Center of Excellence in Charlotte in 2007. We have been recertified three times, which I believe shows the quality of work that we perform and the comprehensive program that we have built. \n In addition to my roles at Novant Health, I serve on the board for the Queen City Teaching Farm, a nonprofit that provides health and wellness education, fresh produce and job opportunities to at-risk communities through outdoor classrooms and teaching gardens developed at public schools. I am also active with the American Society of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery and currently serve on two task forces with the organization - one on weight recurrence after bariatric surgery and the other on the development of telemedicine in bariatrics. \n My wife and I are the proud parents of a teenage daughter and son, a Cavapoo, an Aussiepoo and a guinea pig. My favorite thing to do is spend time with my family at home or traveling to the mountains, the beach or places the kids have never been. My wife and I enjoy cooking and grilling on the weekends. I love to fish anywhere anytime, but I particularly enjoy bass fishing and fly fishing. I also pretend to be a gardener and a birder. I have an herb garden and a cutting garden at home surrounded by more different bird feeders and birdhouses than I should mention.