The Center for Bariatric Surgery

Staff

Mark M. Paya, MD, Center Medical Director

Dr. Paya received his medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and returned to California where he completed a fellowship in laparoscopic surgery at UC, Irvine. Dr. Paya is Board Certified in General Surgery and is a member of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Bariatric Surgery.

Jamshid Nazarian, MD, Center Surgeon

Dr. Nazarian is a diplomat of the American Board of Surgery as well as a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a Fellow of the International College of Surgeons. As an active member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and International Federation of Bariatric Surgery, Dr. Nazarian specializes in Laparoscopic (minimally-invasive) Lap Band, and Gastric Bypass procedures. Dr. Nazarian has performed over twenty-five hundred Bariatric cases.

Marcy L. Meyer, Program Coordinator

Marcy received her Bachelor's degree in Communications from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and her Master's in Public Administration from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, University at Albany, New York. She has over 20 years' experience in program administration ranging from safety and health to the arts. Marcy joined the Center in 2004 to develop and oversee the surgical weight loss program. She is a Gastric Bypass patient and an Affiliate Associate Member of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery.

Rhonda Jessum, Ph.D.,Center Psychologist

Dr. Jessum is a licensed psychologist who graduated from the University of California and the California School of Professional Psychology. She offers a "solution-focused" approach to behavioral and lifestyle change. Dr. Jessum specializes in the areas of health, psychological and behavioral management and is a Qualified Medical Evaluator. She has worked with Center patients since 2004, conducting all the pre-surgical patient screening.

Lisa Klein, MA, LMFT, Center Psychotherapist

Lisa has been a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for over 20 years. She is a graduate of Azusa Pacific University and The California Family Study Center. She spent two years at The Hebrew University, on scholarship, where she studied psychiatry at the world famous Hadassah Hospital. She directed the Women's Counseling Center in Encino for six years and was instrumental in the creation/design of a surgical weight loss center in Beverly Hills. Lisa specializes in working with individuals and couples pre- and post-operatively with weight loss adjustment and relationship rekindling. Lisa has successfully lost over 90 lbs. with surgical weight loss and has great empathy for individuals dealing with this life-long commitment.

Wendy K. Holtzman, RD, CDE, Center Dietitian

Wendy is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator with 24 years of clinical experience, including outpatient nutrition counseling, community education and wellness programs. She received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Dietetics from California State University, Northridge. She also has an advanced certification as a Diabetes Educator since 1996 and has been counseling Center patients since 2004. Wendy is a member of the American Dietetic Association, and the American Association of Diabetes Educators.

Heather MacBrair, RD, Center Dietitian

Heather received her BS in Clinical Nutrition, with a minor in Psychology, in 2006 from the University of California, Davis. In 2007, she completed her internship at Olive View/UCLA Medical Center. She has been involved in weight management programs and has lectured on a variety of topics in nutrition. She is a National Registry of Safety Professionals Certified Food Safety Manager and a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer. She has been a member of the American Dietetic Association since 2005. Heather joined the Center team in 2007.

Beth Saltzberg, RD, CDE, Center Dietitian

Beth received her BS in Human Nutrition at Washington State University in 1998 and then completed her dietetic internship at Olive View/UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar, California in 2000. She has been a practicing clinical dietitian since 2000. She has worked with Center patients since 2004 and is a member of the American Dietetic Association and the California Dietetic Association.

Nancy Samuelian, MS, RD, CDE, Center Dietitian

Nancy received her BS in 2001, followed by her MS degree in 2003 in Food, Nutrition and Dietetics from California State University, Northridge. In 2006, she became a Certified Diabetes Educator. Nancy has lectured on a variety of topics in nutrition, including weight management, healthy cooking, and fad diets and has worked with the Center's patients since 2004. She is a member of the American Dietetic Association and the California Dietetic Association-Los Angeles District.

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