UVAHealth Bariatrics Hospital

the nursing staff here is excellent Gina Petrucci,Brenda Vollrath,Tony Epps.These 3 nurses are some of the best ive encountered meeting them each day was a joy theyre all very professional and have excellent bed side manners.But one little nurse there was firecracker and a half Aileen Feola was the sweetest lady that one could ever wanna meet i9 couldnt say enough good about her but i will say i think shes the one who made me realize that i made a good decision and she was right there the entire time workin with me.

dr. hallowell is a great and careing doctor. I have told people about him and suggested that they goto him.they have a great aftercare program.

My first impression of Dr. Hallowell is that he was trustworthy and seemed to care about his patients. He wanted me to understand the risks involved and what would be required of me throughout this journey. I never felt judged or that I was just a number to him but rather that he was understanding and was genuine in the care that he shows for his patients. His staff was always polite and nice and most of all they were on top of everything. I haven't had surgery yet but will be going for my pre-op appointments in just a couple of weeks so I will know more about him and his staff after those meetings. I will be sure to post my response here. Trusting your surgeon and there staff is a large part of feeling comfortable enough to proceed with the surgery.

My first impression was that he was very caring and informative. After visiting him a number of times, I warmed up to him very well, and I understood that the things he wanted me to do where to help me have a better experience. His staff is very caring and understanding. They treat you like a person, not a number.

After care is very important to the untire staff. There is a structured aftercare program lasting 5 years, longer if needed. They offer pre-op support groups the 1st Monday of every month, post ops are encouraged to attend. There is also a post op group meeting the 3rd Monday of every month. So basically there are 2 helpful sessions a month for post op patients.

They do a very good job covering all risks and life changes of this surgery. It is discussed pre op, many times, and also post op.

Overall, Dr. Hallowell is a TEN in my book. He is there when I need him, so is his staff. my hospital stay was amazing. Tower 9 of University Hospital is the best! This is the most caring group of individuals I have ever met at any hospital. The nutrionist's ofice is even on that floor! So she is there your entire stay to monitor your liquids and answer any questions.

Even though I know he was very busy, he appeared relaxed and encouraged questions. He took the time to explain the different procedures and together we decided the best one for me.
The terribly long journey within the hospital and medical center just about killed me. They should have golf carts to take patients around the building. It was AWFUL!
My first contact with his office was not a good one. I felt the woman was cold and uncaring, she pretty much told me I would not be approved by my insurance company and shouldn't bother with scheduling an appointment unless I wanted to pay out of pocket...which will be very expensive. Otherwise the office staff is very nice and available, which in this day and age is very refreshing. My calls and concerns are handled kindly and professionally.
I would encourage anyone considering WLS to consider Dr. Shirmer and his team. I really think they are top notch.
Post-op there is a strict program of diet and diet progression, exercise, and regular follow up visits. This is reassuring so I will never feel all alone and unsure what to do, or what is to be expected along the path of post op weight loss.
12/17/05
Dr. Shirmer did a great job on me. I have mild discomfort and the "stab wounds" are healing without any sign of infection. He told me how things went when I was awake and alert vs right after surgery when I wouldn't have a clue what he was telling me. I highly recommend Dr. Shirmer to anyone deciding to have WLS.

Very nice man. Kind of quiet, soft spoken. Dr. Schirmer's office staff is great!!!!! The program he has set up is very helpful w/ lots of information available about WLS and afterwards. His staff is available for all kinds of questions and help.

I truly enjoyed my first consult with Dr. Schirmer and all of his staff, they were all very accomadating to my needs and are doing everything possible to expedite this process.

I went for my consult on 9/22/05. The meeting was very informative. It helps with all the studying I've done on this site. Anna keeps it upbeat and never boring. Also met w/ Melissa, nutritionist and Mike Miller, ins guy.They I waited for about 30 min. Met w/ assistant to give all my history and then Dr Schirmer. He answered all my questions very well. Mostly about his history of complications and deaths. I went for blood work and met with Melissa. Now I wait on my insurance approval. BC/BS COVA is usually fast. I hope so for my sake. Then its preop appt. This is the right decision for me.

dr schirmer is a very nice man. anna miller the rn is awesome she is such a nice person.
they both give you lots of information and keep you well informed about this surgery.

Dr. Hallowell was very personal and straight forward, great traits for a surgeon to have. He and his staff are very informative and always return calls and emails, answering any type of questions. They are a very caring group and I would rate this practice a 10!