Dr. Bowersock is a general and minimally invasive/ robotic surgeon who obtained bariatric surgical training during general surgery residency at Mount Carmel Health System, Columbus, Ohio. He has been instrumental in advancing the robotic surgery program at St. Rita’s. He earned his medical degree from Wright State University and obtained a Bachelor of Science at the University of Cincinnati. His interests include bariatric surgery, robotic surgery, trauma and the full range of general surgery. He serves as an Intuitive Surgical da Vinci General and Colorectal Surgical Proctor, educating surgeons throughout the country on general surgery with minimally invasive robotic techniques. He is St. Rita’s General Surgery Division Chief and Assistant Trauma Medical Director. He is also a volunteer faculty member for the University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences. He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery.

Dr. Bowersock’s role on the team:

He evaluates patients for surgical weight loss, performs operations robotically and follows patients through their weight loss journey. https://mylivwell.org/getting-started/register-for-a-seminar

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What Dr. Bowersock does to LivWell:
“I exercise with my kids at home and run with my wife.”

Jennifer Savill, Certified Physician Assistant, is a graduate of Elida High School. She obtained a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Wright State University and a Master’s of Science in Biomedical Studies from The Medical College of Ohio, in Toledo. She is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) and the Ohio Association of Physician Assistants (OAPA). Her Prior experience is in emergency medicine, family medicine and occupational medicine. Her role in the Weight Management Program includes evaluating patients for the medical and surgical management of weight loss. She joined our practice in September 2016.

What Jennifer does to LivWell:

Dr. Samantha Cain completed her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of Toledo and began practicing at Mercy Health Psychological Associates in 2019. Dr. Cain provides pre-surgical bariatric evaluations for all patients seeking weight loss surgery.  She also provides evidenced based individual and group psychotherapy focused on improving healthy lifestyle changes such as food addiction and emotional eating.  Additionally, Dr. Cain also provides evidenced based psychotherapy for patients with more general mental health concerns that may be impacting their weight loss journey.

Dr. Cain’s role on the team:

She offers evidenced based psychotherapy and provides pre-surgical evaluations to patients who are active within the weight management program. Dr. Cain’s goal is to help patients improve their relationship with food to increase likelihood of long-term success within each patient’s unique weight loss journey. 

What Dr. Cain does to LivWell:
“I like to live well by spending quality time with my family, reading suspense novels, and traveling internationally.”

Dr. Dadfar is a psychologist who has been practicing in the Lima area and on the medical staff of St. Rita’s Medical Center since 1987. He provides general and psychological counseling for individuals, couples, and families. His specialty is in the treatment of addiction and addictive diseases. He has provided psychological evaluation for bariatric surgery candidates for the past 18 years. He has also provided ongoing psychological counseling for individuals who are continuing their weight-loss journey.

Dr. Dadfar’s role on the team:

He evaluates patients for surgery through administering testing and interviewing. He helps patients with their psychological needs.

What Dr. Dadfar does to LivWell:
“I love to garden and can’t wait until I start this season! I love traveling, I walk frequently, and I am careful about what I eat.”

Joyce is a veteran of the operating room at St. Rita’s Medical Center, having been part of the Open Heart team for 10 years. She started at St. Rita’s in the operating room 25 years ago and has since obtained nursing degrees from Lima Technical College and Bowling Green State University. She spent two years as the Program Coordinator for Cornerstone Research before joining the St. Rita’s Weight Management team.

Joyce’s role on the team:

She will help patients meet weight loss goals by answering any questions regarding the services offered here at the Weight Management Center during the weight loss journey. She helps and guides patients with determining insurance coverage. She sees her role as an advocate for patients to reach their goals in our program."

What Joyce does to LivWell:
“I love to spend time outdoors with my family. My favorite vacation spot is the beach and my back yard during the summer. I love flowers and gardening. I practice yoga to be healthy.”

Becky has been a Registered Dietitian for over 15 years in a clinical and outpatient setting. She has worked with a variety of patients to help them achieve their weight loss goals. She earned a B.S. in Dietetics from Bowling Green State University. She completed the Accredited Dietetic Internship Program at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI. She is a Licensed Dietitian (LD) in the state of Ohio and Registered through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), the credentialing agency for the national Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Becky has also obtained a Certificate of Training in Weight Management.

Becky’s role on the team:

As the Registered dietitian at the Weight Management Center at St. Rita’s, she provides nutritional advice and educational support as patients lose weight. She explores food intake trends and offers sound nutritional advice. She provides individual and group education on calories, good and bad fats, appropriate serving sizes, how to read labels on all types of food products, and other nutritional topics. Additionally, Becky helps run the support groups.

What Becky does to LivWell:
“I live well by enjoying an active lifestyle that includes regular exercise, experimenting with new foods and recipes and adventures with my family!”

Maddie received her Bachelor of Science, Exercise Science from Xavier University -May 2022. She is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and completed a Cardiopulmonary Rehab internship at U.C. Health West Chester.

She has experience in creating individualized exercise programs for clients based on personal goals, health history and fitness assessments. She is happy to guide and motivate clients to ensure success in their fitness journey.

What Maddie does to LivWell: