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After spending time in Bailey Medical Center’s metabolic management program (MMP), Jerred Richison decided he could use more of what Bailey Bariatrics has to offer. The 31-year-old Bristow native found some success with the program, but quickly realized he needed to make a more dramatic change for his health.  The goal of Bailey’s metabolic management program is…

The summer before her 40th birthday, Meleah Hoskins decided she needed to make a big change. At 393 pounds, she found it difficult to keep up with her husband and children. When Hoskins, a school principal from Stilwell, received a recommendation to go to Bailey Bariatrics from two colleagues at a summer school session in…

For 45-year-old Tera Mitchell, a kindergarten teacher at Westwood Elementary School in Stillwater, it had been a long time since she was comfortable in her own skin. “In high school, I suffered from two emotional eating disorders: anorexia and bulimia,” Mitchell said. “During that time, I convinced myself that I was totally in control. My…

Since she joined the Bailey Bariatrics team in 2019, Chika Okwufulueze, APRN, FNP-BC, has been passionate about giving her patients the best care possible. After three years, she has received a new certification that will help both her patients and her community at Bailey Bariatrics. Inspired by her grandmother, who was a traditional midwife, Okwufulueze…

Lisa Haldeman celebrated what she considered a milestone birthday in 2022, one the Broken Arrow resident previously thought she would not live to see with her family and friends. Haldeman’s mother died at age 45 due to health complications and she feared she was headed down the same path. “By the time I was 18,…

Michael Junger’s health had forced him into an early retirement and was a primary cause in his need for a knee replacement. Junger had a 40-plus year career as an electrician but being overweight had taken its toll on the Broken Arrow resident. “I couldn’t kneel down anymore and getting up on a ladder was…

As a mother of two young children, Brittany Steinkirchner didn’t want anything holding her back. “I wanted to be the best mom I could be to my children,” she said. “Part of that means being able to run with them at the park and kick the soccer ball.” But Steinkirchner’s health had increasingly impacted her…

Susie Martin dealt with weight-related issues throughout her adult life after being diagnosed with high blood pressure by age 18. But one doctor visit in 2019 was a wake-up call. “A doctor told me if I kept on the same path that my son would be without a caregiver,” said Martin, who has a special…

Tyler Schmidt transformed his body through weight-loss surgery, but perhaps more importantly, the Bartlesville resident gained a renewed spirit for life. “I used to eat every two or three hours, eat until I was miserable. I didn’t do anything with my daughter. I was always tired and grumpy and angry and disappointed,” Schmidt said in…