Dr. Jeffrey Lord, a specialist in weight-loss surgery techniques, will present "Weight Loss Surgery: Is It Right for You?" on Thursday, May 15, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Sacred Heart Hospital Conference Center in Pensacola.

The seminar is sponsored by Sacred Heart's Institute for Surgical Weight Loss.  Sacred Heart offers two types of weight loss surgery that use small incisions. The first is laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery, which involves a permanent rerouting of the digestive system that leaves patients with a small stomach pouch. The surgery creates a bypass that reroutes food around a portion of the small intestine.

The second, newer approach performed at Sacred Heart is adjustable gastric banding. Using a laparoscope, the surgeon places an inflatable band around the stomach, creating a small upper pouch at the top, with restricted passage to the rest of the stomach. This pouch fills quickly and creates a feeling of fullness.

Dr. Lord, who has advanced fellowship training in weight-loss surgery, serves as director of the Sacred Heart Institute for Surgical Weight Loss. Dr. Lord and staff provide comprehensive evaluation of clinically obese patients to determine their candidacy for these life-changing procedures as well as extensive patient/family education to create a foundation for a healthy lifestyle.

Reservations are required for this free seminar. To make a reservation or to obtain more information, please call (850) 416-1628 or visit www.sacred-heart.org.

Sacred Heart Hospital's SENIORSpirit! program will present a free seminar entitled "Change Your Life: How to Manage Diabetes, Cholesterol & Your Blood Pressure" on Tuesday, May 20 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Perdido Bay Community Center, 13660 Innerarity Point Road, in Perdido.

The seminar will be presented by Dr. Eric Hazbun, a board-certified family medicine physician with Sacred Heart Medical Group. The seminar will cover the symptoms of diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol, as well as ways to treat and manage these diseases.

As seating is limited, pre-registration is encouraged. To register, please call (850) 416-1620 or 1-877-416-1620.

Sacred Heart SENIORSpirit! is a free program for persons 55 and older.  Benefits include free screenings, seminars, special in-patient benefits such as a free daily guest meal ticket and newspaper delivery, a monthly calendar of events detailing all SENIORSpirit!  events, and a quarterly newsletter containing health and event information.

For more information, please call (850) 416-7000 or visit www.sacred-heart.org.

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Sacred Heart Foundation, the fundraising arm of Sacred Heart Health System, recently named Bambi Provost as its director of foundation affairs for the Pensacola office.

In her new role, Provost will be in charge of the day-to-day management of the Foundation in Pensacola as well as securing and handling major gifts and bequests.

Provost comes to the Foundation with over 17 years of healthcare marketing and development experience, in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings, including acute care, long term care, assisted living, physician practice, and mission camp marketing.

Prior to accepting this position, Provost was the director of Sacred Heart's Miracle Camp, a 40-acre camp in northern Escambia County for children and adults with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. Provost has also served as the manager of guest and volunteer services at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, in addition to management positions at The Villas at Gulf Breeze, Specialty Center of Pensacola, and Fort Walton Beach Medical Center.

For more information on the services available at Sacred Heart, please call (850) 416-1600 or visit our website at www.sacred-heart.org.

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