Integris Grove fights back against obesity with help of new... - KOAM TV 7

Integris Grove fights back against obesity with help of new surgeon

A Northeast Oklahoma hospital is fighting back against obesity with the help of a new surgeon.

Integris Grove Hospital started its weight-loss program more than a year ago.

Cosmetic and general surgeon Jeff Sweatnum says the demand in the area is so high they needed extra hands.

Oklahoma is among the top 10 most obese states in the nation and Dr. Nathan Miller says he is happy to come back to his home state to help.

Dr. Miller says his goal is to battle obesity across a wide region.

"The demographic is such that within an hours drive of Grove Integris, brand new beautiful hospital, there is about two million people, and serving those two million people included in Joplin, and Fayetteville and Tulsa, there are really only about four or five bariatric surgeons that are qualified to do the procedures," says Dr. Miller, the Director of Bariatric Surgery at Integris Grove.

Integris Grove says they feel fortunate to recruit Dr. Miller, who is one of only a handful of surgeons in the country that is certified in all bariatric, cosmetic and robotic surgeries.