NWA Psychologist or Psychiatrist

Hi Follks, I am in NWA and wondered if anyone can guide me to a psychologist or psychiatrist that does the evaluations for weight loss surgery. My doctor will allow me to have this done here rather than only with his connections so it would be one less trip to Tulsa that I would have to make!  This is the hard part about not having the Lap Band surgery option in NWA - the trips for all the tests and required meetings prior to surgery!  Hope someone can help me out here as it would make life just a little easier! Carol Braman

Hi, I opened my yellow pages and started calling psychs, I told them I was having weightloss surgery and needed to have a psych eval done and the first one I called saw me a few days later.  It was easy and painless.  I took a test (I guess to evaluate my mental state) and was asked questions.  And that was that.  I think any psych can do it.

Thanks for the suggestion.  I will do that if I don't get a reply on someone that is already known to do this.  Carol

Dr. Josh Roller at Springdale Hospital is a weight loss surgeon.  He just opened in July.  He comes from Duke university where he pracitced for many years.  The phycologist I had to see is in the Springdale hospital and he charges $330.00 Cash or check only.  No Credit Cards. You can call Kristy at 479-757-3174 as Dr. Roller does do Lapband and RNY.

Oh, how I wish I had known this earlier!  I have had records and such all sent to a doctor in Tulsa and begun to process through his pre-surgery doctor apppointments for cardiology (done), pulmonary and locally will do the psych and colon study.  I am not sure I want to start all over but it would be so nice to be local! I am Medicare which has also been an issue as any hospital must be designated a Bariatric Center of Excellence to be covered.  Do you know if Springdale has that designation and if Dr. Roller accepts Medicare patients? Yes, I had another wrinkle in finding a doctor which made the search even more difficult. I sure appreciate the information! Carol

I'm not sure about that, but it never hurts to call him!  Good luck!

Doesn't look they are accepting medicare. http://www.northwesthealth.com/OurServices/WLSC/PaymentOptions/default

I had checked to see if Northwest was approved as a Center of Excellence and they aren't so it would really do not good for them to accept Medicare and not have a place to do the surgery!  It is so new in this area that in time this will probably happen but not for now. Carol