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 Patient care is approached as a team from initial consultation through surgery and support after surgery. Remember, surgery is only part of the equation. Nutritional counseling, psychology assessments,
respiratory specialists, and physical therapy sessions are essential parts
of the overall treatment strategy.
"Our patients undergo screening and preoperative education," says Dr. Daniel Smith. "But, our program really just begins with the surgery. Post-operative follow-up is key to our
patients' success as we see them multiple times during the first year and
every six-twelve months thereafter."
Our specialized care team is there to
meet every patient's individual needs. We want to give our patients the
tools they need to maintain their weight loss for life. Our focus is on
increasing our patients' standard and enjoyment of life.
St. Joseph's Area Health Services offers a nine-bed surgical unit designed exclusively for bariatric surgery patients. We have available the latest equipment in bariatric surgery. Your care team members are the most experienced professionals in helping bariatric patients from surgery through recovery.
Surgical Support Team
Daniel Smith, M.D.
Dr. Smith graduated from Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, in 1983;
and completed a general surgical residency in 1988. He is board certified
in general surgery since 1989. He is also surgical critical care certified
originally in 1989 and recertified in 1997. Dr. Smith performs numerous
general surgical procedures at St. Joseph's Area Health Services including
bariatric weight loss surgery. Dr. Smith has practiced at St. Joseph's
since the summer of 1989. He and his wife Norita live in rural Park Rapids on Mantrap Lake. They have five children; and when Dr.
Smith is not at work, he enjoys spending time with his family fishing on
area lakes. Ask him about the latest muskee that got away from him or the
most recent one he's caught. And, when winter arrives and the lakes freeze
over, he spends considerable time on the ice at the area hockey arena as one
of the area's hockey dads.
Sandy Jones, PA
Sandy worked as a critical care nurse at St. Joseph's for several years when
she decided to return to school to earn her physician assistant degree.
She attended the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, and graduated in 1996. She then worked at Dakota Clinic in Walker, Minnesota, for three years when she
decided to join Dr. Daniel Smith back in Park Rapids and assist his
practice. Sandy sees patients in the Dakota Clinic of Park Rapids when
she's not in one of the surgery suites. She and her husband, Lanny, live in
rural Park Rapids where her husband owns the local Servicemaster business.
What do the patients say?
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