Weight Management Center offers first telehealth program
May 11, 2015
South Carolinians granted easier access to evidence-based weight loss programs
COLUMBIA, SC – It’s that time again… when people become bombarded with images of perfect bodies in bikinis and swim trunks, taunting those who seek to lose weight with what seems like an almost impossible goal. But losing weight is more than how you look, it’s about feeling good and living a healthy lifestyle. With so many people struggling to lose weight and keep it off in the age of immediate gratification and “no time,” the Medical University of South Carolina’s (MUSC) Weight Management Center (WMC) has launched the first statewide, comprehensive telehealth weight loss program.
With more than 31% of the state’s citizens suffering from the numerous health, mental and emotional issues caused by obesity and extra pounds, the WMC’s director and MUSC Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences professor, Patrick O’Neil, Ph.D., said he and his staff chose the highly successful Focus program as the model for this initial telehealth offering.
“We’ve had many successes through our Focus program, because it combines a supplement –based program with patient interaction with our behavioral therapists, our exercise physiologists, and of course, our dietitians,” he said. “I think South Carolina has had enough with the fads, the short-cuts, the broken promises to a healthier lifestyle. All of our programs offer structured, healthy ways to lose a lot or a little weight, and to keep it off.”
O’Neil and his colleagues have published more than 100 studies on health weight loss and retention, and offer the state’s only weight loss center supported by an academic medical center. Recently ranked by Health magazine as one of the Top 15 professional weight management programs in the U.S., based on the input of national weight loss experts, certainly this recognized
expertise is a comfort to many; but the reality is that even that information isn’t always enough to get people on the right track.
“This new telehealth offering of the MUSC Focus program is a fantastic fit for busy, on-the-go people who might have trouble making an in-person, at-the-office-style meeting,” said Josh Brown, Ph.D., MUSC Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences assistant professor and WMC director of Clinical Services and Training. “Leveraging the latest technology, we’re now able to meet with patients throughout the state in real-time on their computers, smartphones or tablets, using the simplest and most secure telehealth technology. Our hope is to reach people who don’t a have access to proven weight programs where they live, those who can’t get to Charleston for regular visits, and those who are simply too busy to come in. We are delighted that we’re now able to assist any South Carolinian in reaching their weight loss and lifestyle goals.”
Patients in the MUSC FOCUS program have access to the most comprehensive weight loss expertise in the state through a telehealth relationship with a dietitian, behavioral therapist and exercise physiologist at the WMC, leading to behavior changes that help patients maintain a healthy lifestyle over time. The WMC has been a professional weight control resource for Lowcountry residents since 1974, but with this telehealth launch, it is now available to people throughout the state.
For more information about Focus programs and the new telehealth Focus Carolina offerings, visit http://bit.ly/WMC_Programs.
About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 13,000 employees, including approximately 1,500 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.7 billion. MUSC operates a 750-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children’s Hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), Hollings Cancer Center (one of 68 National Cancer Institute designated centers) Level I Trauma Center and Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit www.musc.edu. For more information on hospital patient services, visit www.muschealth.com.
