Spectrum Health Medical Group Lakeshore Bariatric Surgery Bariatric Center

Dr. Schram was great. I have no complaints about him. He explained the surgery in painstaking detail during my initial consultation and patiently answered all of my questions. On the day of surgery, he prayed with me prior to the operation. (That had a great calming effect on me!) He has a very good bedside manner.

Dr. Foote did my surgery 11/26/02. He was very informative and seemed to be very genuine. My experience has been very good. The staff at MMPC has been very nice in regards to working with on my appoinments.Everyone is helpful and attentive.The MD that is working with him is Dr. White. She also has a nice demeanor and sincerity that makes me comfortable talking about the smallest of concerns . In regards to the aftercare the Dr's and staff
have certainly made sure that I make my appointments. With my busy schedule I would be lost without their assistance.My overall rating for the surgeon,MD and staff is an A plus.I really have not had a negative experience with anyone. My only complaint would be the answering machine. You always get the machine when you have to talk to a nurse. It says leave a message and we will call back within 2 hours. Iam probally impatient but when I dont feel good 2 hours is an eternity and often to late to make an appoinment for the same day.They would benefit by having a nurse answer the phone and asess the urgency
of the call.

Dr. Schram was very nice and explained things in a way that was very easy to understand. He made me feel very comfortable about my decision to seek help.
I really enjoyed my nurse who talked to me before the doctors consultation. She was an inspiration and made me feel right at home. We shared a lot of the same feelings about how obesity makes one feel about themselves. I am waiting on my insurance's claims examinor to make a decision to approve.

I met with Dr. Schram today. He is extremely nice and very relaxed. I would totally give him an 11 on a scale of 1-10. He described the surgery to me and answered ALL of my questions. I didn't feel rushed at all. I was considering going to a different surgeon so I could have the LAP procedure but now I don't think I will. He even prays with all of his patients before surgery!!! All the staff at BTC seemed extremely nice too.

Dr. Foote was very matter of fact in his ability to perform the surgery. He was very candid and truthful about the risks. I truely like his personality. His front desk staff need to be smacked. I read someone elses views and they said they wanted to flick their noses and I totally agree. Now the nurses and dieticians are wonderful. They have been great to work with very understanding and helpful. I feel that his surgical competence and beside manner are great.

Dr Foote is very professional and caring. The office staff are very helpful and even though they are busy they always take time for me. They were very helpful in getting approval. I can't thnk of anything I like least about Dr Foote. He has done over 400 surgeries. He is very upfront about risks and complications, and answers questions honestly and without making you feel foolish. He emhasizes aftercare as the main part and the surgery as just the beginning. HE does have a structured aftercare program. since I am pre op I can't comment on his sugical competence from personal experiance. I can however state that he has a very low incidence of complications. I rate him a 9.

I HAVE SEEN MY DOCTOR FOR MY FRST VISIT. HE WAS VERY HONEST WITH ME AND THE PROCEDURE. HE EXPLAINED HOW THE SURGERY WORKS, THAT IT IS NOT A CURE BUT A TOOL TO LOOSE WEIGHT. HE ALSO EXPLAINED HOW EXERCISE AFTER THE SURGERY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. HE EXPLAINED THE RISKS AND ADVANTAGES IN FULL DETAIL. HE WAS VERY NICE AND DIDN'T TREAT ME LIKE I HAD A DISEASE BUT JUST A PROBLEM. I LIKED BARIATRIC TREATMENT CENTERS. I WOULD RATE HIM A 10 AT THIS POINT.
I HAD MY SURGERY AND HE PRAYED WITH ME BEFORE THE SURGERY. THAT MEANT SO MUCH FOR ME. HE CARED SO MUCH ABOUT HOW I FELT AND MADE SURE UP TO THE LAST POINT IF THIS WAS WHAT I WANTED TO DO. HE WAS GREAT WITH MY FAMILY AFTER THE SURGERY EXPLAINING EVERYTHING.
I HAD A GREAT POST-OP VISIT AND HE STILL IS CHEERING ME ON AND VERY CARING. HE IS THE BEST DOCTOR I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. HE TREATS ME LIKE A PERSON AND NOT LIKE I AM A LOOSER. I LIKE DR. SCHRAM VERY MUCH AND WOULD RECOMMEND HIM TO ANYONE. HIS OFFICE STAFF ARE GREAT AND CARING ALSO. THEY CHEER YOU ON NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU LOOSE. THEY DON'T DEGRADE YOU LIKE SO OFFICES DO.

POST-SURGERY - Dr. Foote was excellent during my stay in the hospital. In the pre-op holding area, he came out and met my mom and husband and made sure I was okay with everything. He also came to visit me 3 times while I was in the hospital over a 2-day period. He was great! Very sensitive, very caring, and seemed to be very interested in how I was doing!

PRE-SURGERY - On my first consult with Dr. Foote, I realized what great bedside manner he had. I had never met him before, but was referred to him by a friend. I found him to be very understanding, patient, and a great listener. He takes all the time in the world to discuss your questions and/or concerns. I look forward to him doing my surgery.

James A. "Jamie" Foote is a new surgeon. He is taking his boards in October for the bariatric physician certification. Dr. Foote is a graduate of Hope College and received his graduate degree from Grand Valley State University in Human Anatomy and Microbiology before attending medical school at Wayne State University School of Medicine. Dr. Foote completed his residency in Grand Rapids through Michigan State University. He completed his fellowship in Surgical Critical Care at Spectrum Health through Michigan State University. He has done 100 surgeries with Dr. Scholten, and 50 with the practice he is at now, MMPC Center for Health Excellence. Although he is a new doc, he has made a committment to bariatric surgery as his career. He is confident of his abilities as a surgeon. He will have an experienced surgeon as a backup, either actually assisting, or in the hospital available in case he has trouble.

I have not seen the doctor as of yet.