It takes a special set of nursing skills to help bariatric patients become successful with long-term weight loss.

St. Joseph’s Area Health Services Tia Kocka, BSN, RN, Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) recently added Certified Bariatric Nurse (CBN) to her title since earning her credentials based on standards established by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

As a nurse with St. Joseph’s Center for Weight Management, Kocka teaches obese and morbidly obese patients what they can expect before, during and after their weight-loss surgeries, coaches them during their weight-loss journey, motivates them to use their new tool to make successful lifestyle changes, and helps them plan their after-care appointments with the center’s surgical team.

“I love to be able to give people the tools they need to succeed and have a healthier life,” Kocka says. Seeing patients succeed and making the changes they need to improve their quality of life “make this job worthwhile.”

Kocka and her peers watch as many bariatric patients transform their lives and become healthier as a result of their work to meet and sustain their weight-loss goals.

The ASMBS, which certified St. Joseph’s Center for Weight Management a “Center of Excellence,” established the CBN program to assess professional competence of practitioners of bariatric nursing.

Kocka is the first bariatric nurse to achieve CBN certification at St. Joseph’s in addition to her role as a diabetes educator.

She is a part of St. Joseph’s Center for Weight Management multi-disciplinary team working to providing support so that patients can enjoy optimal success and health on their weight-loss journey.

St. Joseph’s Center for Weight Management has surgical and non-surgical solutions for weight-loss patients. The center provides follow-up care, support groups and programs, nutrition classes, exercise classes, support group leader training, newsletters, an online support system and an annual retreat.

For more information, please call 218-237-5757.