Meet Our Weight Loss Surgery Doctors and Dietitian

When looking into medical care it is important to know various background information of whom you may be dealing with. FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, in partnership with Pinehurst Surgical, has been providing bariatric services since 1997. The Bariatric Program is a multi-disciplinary program at FirstHealth that offers indefinite follow-up under the direction of a specialized surgical team.

“Our program is built on indefinite follow-up based on surgery, nutrition and education,” says Dr. Washington, a general and bariatric surgeon. “Surgery is just one component of the program. It is also important to develop good eating habits and a good understanding of what exercise and nutrition can do regarding weight loss.”

Ready? Let’s meet the team.

First we have Raymond Washington, M.D. Dr. Washington is the medical director of the FirstHealth Bariatric team and provides leadership and direction of the new and improved program. With an abundance of experience, Dr. Washington began his extensive bariatric training by assisting on 250 bariatric cases. A graduate from them Medical College of Virginia, he completed his internship and residency at Christiana Care Health System in Wilmington, Del. Dr. Washington is a member of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons and is certified by the American Board of Surgery.

The second surgeon in the FirstHealth Bariatric program is Dr. David Grantham. Dr. Grantham is also certified by the American Board of Surgery. He received his medical training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed his residency and fellowship in advanced laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgery at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Last, but definitely not least, is the patient navigator Melissa Herman, R.D., LDN, CDE. “As part of our team approach, I serve as a patient ‘health coach,’ providing education and support and ensuring that patients have a consistent advocate throughout their weight-loss journey,” Herman says. She is a registered dietitian who specializes in working with bariatric surgery patients. Her main duty is to counsel patients about dietary concerns before and after surgery, and creates individualized diet plans per each patient’s needs. Melissa also leads a monthly weight-loss support group that encourages shared patient experiences and peer support. The support groups follow the weight-loss seminars the first Thursday and third Monday of every month.

For more information regarding the FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital’s Bariatric Program, please go to ncweightlosssurgery.org or call (800) 213-3284. FirstHealth offers bariatric treatment to patients in the Pinehurst, Lumberton, Raeford, Sanford, Laurinburg, Rockingham and Troy regions of North Carolina and beyond.