St Marks Bariatric Seminar
Overview
This comprehensive one-day training course equips primary care providers with the knowledge and tools needed to address obesity effectively in their practice. Participants will explore the physiological, psychosocial, and nutritional dimensions of obesity, learning how to provide empathetic, evidence-based care to patients. The course covers the role of primary care in dispelling myths, conducting sensitive and thorough evaluations, managing obesity-related comorbidities, and offering appropriate treatments. Attendees will leave with practical resources and strategies to create a patient-centered approach to weight management, improve patient outcomes, and address the ongoing obesity epidemic.
Target Audience
The intended audience is Primary Care Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this activity, learners should be able to:
- Recognize the critical role primary care providers play in addressing obesity and fostering a supportive clinical environment.
- Identify the physiological, psychological, and social determinants contributing to obesity and its related health conditions.
- Conduct comprehensive and sensitive history and physical examinations tailored to patients with obesity.
- Apply nutritional and lifestyle interventions to support sustainable behavior change.
- Evaluate the appropriate use of pharmacological treatments and determine when to refer patients for bariatric surgery or specialized care.
- Implement practical tools, algorithms, and interdisciplinary approaches to optimize obesity management in a primary care setting.
- Advocate for equitable care and address weight bias in healthcare environments.
Program
Friday, March 7, 2024
All agenda session times are listed in Mountain Standard Time (MST)
TIMES | AGENDA | PRESENTER |
---|---|---|
7:30-8:00 | Registration/ Coffee | |
8:00-8:15 | Course Introduction | Alicia Allen, RD, MBA & Elizabeth Hanna, DNP, PMHNP, AGACNP |
8:15-9:00 | Role of Primary Care in Treating Obesity (The Frontline) | Alicia Allen, RD, MBA |
9:00-9:30 | A Brief History of Obesity Treatments | Dr. Rod McKinlay |
9:30-10:30 | Physiological Causes of Obesity | Dr. Rod McKinlay & Elizabeth Hanna, DNP |
10:30-10:45 | Case Study - “Typical Patients” (pre and contemplative) | |
10:45-11:00 | BREAK | |
11:00-11:45 | Psychosocial Causes and Implications of Obesity | Mollie Gallogly, LCSW |
11:45-12:30 | Conducting a sensitive and appropriate H & P | Elizabeth Hanna, DNP |
12:30-13:00 | The Nutritional Assessment | Juliana Bekter, RD |
13:00-13:30 | LUNCH | |
13:30-14:15 | Eliciting Change | Elizabeth Hanna, DNP |
14:15-15:15 | Obesity Medications and Supporting treatments (include peds). | Dr Nicholas Paulk & Elizabeth Hanna, DNP |
15:15-15:30 | Case studies - Creating a holistic plan | |
15:30-15:45 | BREAK | |
15:45-16:30 | When Medications aren’t enough: When is surgery appropriate? | Dr. Douglas Greer |
16:30-17:00 | Managing the post-bariatric patient in the outpatient setting | Dr. Nicholas Paulk |
17:00-17:45 | Your Clinic Toolkit – Practice Management – include ICD and CPT codes | Alicia Allen, RD, MBA & Elizabeth Hanna, DNP |
17:45-18:30 | Q & A | Alicia Allen, RD, MBA; Elizabeth Hanna, DNP; Dr. Nicholas Paulk; Dr. Douglas Greer |
18:30 | Adjourn Program |
Venue

Faculty and Planning Committee
Course Faculty
Rod McKinlay, MD, FACS, FASMBS
Speaker
General Surgery
Medical Director for Bariatric Services
St. Mark's Hospital
Nicholas Paulk, MD, FACS, ABOM
Speaker
Bariatric & General Surgery
Rocky Mountain Associated Physicians
Elizabeth Hanna, APRN, DNP, PMHNP, AGACNP
Sarah Marz
Accreditation
Accreditation:
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of HCA Healthcare Continental Division and HCA Healthcare Mountain Division. HCA Healthcare Continental Division is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians
Credit Designation:
The HCA Healthcare Continental Division designates this live activity for a maximum of 8.75 AMA PRA Category 1TM Credits. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Commercial Support:
This Activity was developed without support from any ineligible company.*The ACCME defines ineligible companies as those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. Note: The ACCME does not consider providers of clinical service directly to patients to be commercial interests – unless the provider of clinical services is owned, or controlled by, and ACCME defined ineligible company.
Disclosure:
The HCA Healthcare Continental Division is committed to providing CME that is balanced, objective, and evidenced-based. In accordance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education Standards for Integrity and Independence all parties involved in content development are required to disclose all conflicts of interest with ACCME defined ineligible companies. The HCA Healthcare Continental Division has identified, reviewed, and mitigated all conflicts of interest that speakers, authors, course directors, planners, peer reviewers, or relevant staff disclose prior to the delivery of any educational activity. The CME planning committee who are in a position to control the content of this CME Activity, have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
Available Credit
- 8.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™HCA Healthcare Continental Division is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
HCA Healthcare Continental Division designates this for a maximum of 8.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. - 8.75 Attendance
Register/Take course
Activity Registration Requirements
Learners must have a CME.HealthONEcares.com account in order to access/complete the following requirements. To complete the activity, attendees must...
- Participate in the activity
- Mark their attendance via SMS code
- Complete the Activity Evaluation
Learners who complete the requirements above will receive the designated credits they are eligible for. Learners interested in CME credit must verify their profession is listed in their profile in order to be eligible for credits.
Required Hardware/software
We recommend the following hardware/software to successfully view and complete the contents of this course:
Recommended Desktop Parameters | For ease of use, we strongly recommend using a desktop computer to complete this course. The following desktop web browsers are compatible with our system: Desktop: Chrome, Internet Explorer, MS Edge, Safari |
Recommended Mobile Parameters | While not recommended, if you are familiar with completing courses online you may complete this course using a mobile device. For those wishing to complete this activity on Mobile, the following systems are recommended: Apple iPhones and iPad devices on iOS 10 or later |
If you encounter any issues while accessing our courses, please contact CME@HealthONEcares.com