Medical and Support Staff
If you'd like to learn more about bariatric surgery or The Center for Surgical Weight Loss at Lake Norman, please call 704.660.HLTH (4584).
Medical Director
T. Ryan Heider, MD
Mooresville Surgical Associates
Ryan Heider, MD, received his medical degree from University of North Carolina School of Medicine and completed his general surgery training at University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill. While at UNC, he participated in a variety of advanced minimally invasive and laparoscopic procedures, including laparoscopic gastric bypass, gastrectomy and esophageal surgery. Dr. Heider is board certified by the American Board of Surgery. He has also published numerous articles and completed extensive research in advanced laparoscopic surgery.
Dr. Heider's interest in bariatric surgery developed because it is a field that's rapidly developing and requires the highest level of surgical skill. Another reason is the high level of patient interaction. Bariatric surgery affords Dr. Heider the opportunity to get to know his patients well and follow their progress long after they've healed from their surgery. Few surgical procedures positively impact a patient's health in so many ways and to witness these changes is a privilege Dr. Heider enjoys.
Director of Bariatric Services
Laurie Brown, RN, BSN
Laurie began her career at the Lancaster General Hospital School of Nursing in Pennsylvania and graduated with Honors from Eastern Mennonite University with a Bachelor of Science degree. Laurie's diverse nursing background includes: intensive care, cardiac rehab, nutrition, community outreach and wellness. With extensive experience in Bariatrics, she started the first bariatric program in Lancaster County, PA in 2002. As the program developed, she expanded its scope to include wellness, offering opportunities for weight loss patients to incorporate healthy eating, emotional health and exercise as a sustainable way of life.
A Certified Support Group Leader, Laurie is an Associate Member of The American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society.
Happily relocated to North Carolina, Laurie has brought her weight loss surgery center expertise to Mooresville. She has designed a program to help patients gain maximum results and lead the way to a better quality of life. For Laurie, it's an honor and privilege to participate in a person's life transformation.
Counseling/Therapy
Karen Barry, LMFT
Karen is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) in private practice. She graduated from San Jose State University with a BA in Liberal Studies and Business, and received her Masters Degree in Family Therapy from Hahnemann University (now Drexel University) in Philadelphia, PA.
Karen has an extensive background in individual, couples and family therapy, and has a systemic approach to mental health, which addresses physical, emotional and spiritual health. Her personal and professional experience with the issues of obesity has fueled her passion about the benefits of weight loss surgery. She began working with bariatric surgery patients in 2001and will be providing the mental/emotional health component for our bariatric program which is critical to the long term success of transitioning from being morbidly obese to healthy.
Karen has been a clinical member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy since 1997 and has served on the board of directors of the North Carolina Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.
Anju Agarwal
A registered and licensed North Carolina dietitian, Anju holds a Master's in food and nutrition and is certified by the American Dietetic Association in weight management. Her extensive experience in pre- and post-bariatric surgery nutrition helps her develop a personalized eating plan for each patient; one that they can easily understand and manage on their own, for life.
Anju works with patients before surgery and immediately after surgery, as healing and initial adjustments begin. She is also available to advise patients long after weight goals have been achieved.
Anju is a member of the American Dietetic Association, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and the Charlotte Dietetic Association.
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