Meet the Staff

The New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery Staff is a group of experts in their respective fields with a collective experience in helping patients lose weight for over 75 years! Dr. Boyce has personally performed over 2000 weight loss surgical procedures. Dr. Boyce and Dr. Williams are the only surgeons offering all approved procedures as well as revision, corrective and conversion surgery with an office based multidisciplinary team.

Office Manager

Our Office Manger, Jama Stinnett, is a Tennessee native who has been a nurse since 1980. Ms. Stinnett has been involved in Medical Office administration since 1986 and holds a Certified Professional of Healthcare Quality, a certification offered by the National Association of Healthcare Quality. Safe, healthy and successful weight loss is our team’s number-one goal at the New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery. If you are having difficulty resolving any issue to your satisfaction, please do not hesitate to contact our office manager. We always want to exceed your expectations!

Bariatric Registered Nurse Coordinators

Sarah Grimes graduated from Roane State Community College in 2000 with her Associates of Science in Nursing. She began working with Bariatric Patients at Parkwest on the Post Surgical Floor and in 2004 came to work at New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery. She was designated a Certified Bariatric Nurse in 2007, and was one of the first to have this distinction. We know that surgery is not part of your everyday life as it is ours; Sarah feels education and knowledge are very important to help patients feel more comfortable with the weight loss surgery journey.

Robin Saunders received her bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Having worked in the hospital environment over 28 years, Robin brings a dedication for excellence to her role of Bariatric Registered Nurse Coordinator. This position offers a variety of services for our patients including, preparing you for your surgical journey, assisting with work leave forms, managing a 24 hour nurse call phone and caring for patients in clinic. Her desire is to promote healing and overall well-being by being attentive to your surgical needs as well as your privacy, comfort and emotional needs. Robin receives the most enjoyment from her position by being a participant in such a life-changing experience for our patients.

The bariatric Registered Nurse coordinators are specialized nurses with extra training in the needs of the bariatric surgical patient. They are a great resource for the patient and actually carry a cell phone and are available to patients 24 hours a day for medical concerns related to weight loss surgery. They are an integral part of the multidisciplinary team and are instrumental in preparing patients for surgery.

Bariatric Certified Dietitian

Krystal Cameron received her bachelor’s degree in Food and Nutrition/Dietetics from Carson-Newman College. She completed her dietetic internship through the State University of New York in Oneonta, NY. She has been certified in Adult Weight Management by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. She is also a licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist through the state of TN. Krystal has been a registered dietitian working in the field of bariatrics since 2007.

Jennifer Clark received her bachelor’s degree in Human Ecology from the University of Tennessee and her master’s degree in Clinical Nutrition from East Tennessee State University. Jennifer is a certified Registered Dietitian through the American Dietetic Association and a Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist through the State of Tennessee. Jennifer has been working as a food and nutrition expert since 2007.

Our experienced registered dietitians are a vital part of our comprehensive multidisciplinary program and as such, are keys to the success of your weight loss program. Unlike a one-time consultation with a nutritionist, our registered dietitians provide you with ongoing, individualized support and education for your dietary needs as you advance through the stages of weight loss.

From the first visit through your annual follow ups, our dietitians are committed to helping you achieve your weight loss and health goals.

Exercise Physiologist

Rebecca Johnson received her bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Tennessee and is a Certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Rebecca has over 11 years of experience in weight loss and health/wellness programs.

While pursuing his bachelor’s degree from Maryville College in physical education/health and wellness, Greg Stanley was also a member of the football team. He attended the University of Tennessee for his master’s degree in exercise physiology. During Greg’s two-year tenure at UTK he served as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Lady Vol Athletic Dept. Greg is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and a Certified Health and Fitness Specialist (HFS) through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

Exercise is a very important part of a successful health and weight management plan and exercise instruction in our program goes beyond general recommendations. Each patient is instructed on the appropriate activity during their hospital stay and the activities to perform in the first month after surgery. Patients follow up with the Exercise Physiologist at regular intervals of 3, 6, and 12 months post operatively where they receive an individualized exercise prescription to improve stamina and strength. We understand the time constraints in our patient’s busy lifestyles so our Exercise Physiologist selects exercises that involve weight training and cardiovascular stamina to maximize efforts in the shortest amount of time. Exercise along with the proper nutritional plan facilitates maximum fat loss while preventing extreme muscle loss. Lifelong participation in exercise, eating healthy foods, getting better sleep, and making behavioral changes allow our patients to get and stay healthy forever.

Nurse Practitioner

Kristine Vanhoose, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, our nurse practitioner, received her bachelor’s in nursing from Pensacola Christian College and master’s in nursing with a family practice focus from Carson Newman College. Kristine had nearly 13 years experience as an RN in various critical care settings prior to becoming a NP. Kristine has been with the New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery as the staff NP since 2008. The role of the NP in our practice involves pre operative consultation with each patient prior to surgery. The pre operative process involves collaboration with the surgeons, primary care physicians, specialists, pharmacists and anesthesia personnel to ensure that each patient is well equipped to safely proceed with surgery. The NP is available on site to meet with patients as individual needs arise.

Psychologist

Dr. Greg Foreman, Ph.D. earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from George Mason University in 2001. He interned at Eastern Virginia Medical School, then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Virginia Health System. Dr. Foreman began his private practice at the Behavioral Medicine Institute here in Knoxville in 2002. He maintains an office within our center in order to provide consistent and convenient psychological support for patients, both before and after surgery. His special focus on the needs of the weight loss surgical patients affords them a foundation to manage the psychological changes needed and experienced around bariatric surgery.

Insurance Pre-Determination Coordinator

Jennifer Wood received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Carson-Newman College in 2009. She has been with New Life 2 years working as the insurance Pre-Determination Coordinator. Jennifer’s responsibility is to get you approved for your surgery. Within the first couple of days after your initial consultation she will start to gather all the information that is required by your specific insurance. She will send out all requests to Physicians and will sort through the documentation. If any more information is needed we will inform you.
Jennifer is available by phone if you have any questions. Our philosophy is to do it right the first time so we get you approved for your surgery. If your insurance requires a medically supervised diet, let Jennifer know when you have completed your 5th month visit so she can be prepared to send your pre-determination packet as soon as documentation of completion (6th visit) is received.

Patient Advocate

Our full time Patient Advocate works with patients to assist them in beginning the process of obtaining weight-loss surgery. Insurance coverage dictates that patients meet certain requirements in order to be approved for weight loss surgery. The Patient Advocate can help you get started meeting these requirements so that the wait time for weight loss surgery can be minimized. The Patient Advocate works diligently to help you become familiar with your insurance requirements, the pathway to surgery, as well as with our Staff and services at the New Life Center.

Bariatric Patient Coordinator

The Bariatric Patient Coordinators, Donna Hicks, Melissa White, and Stephanie Hamilton are exceptional in patient care. Donna, who has been with New Life for over eight years, acts as the Patient Coordinator for Dr. Boyce while Stephanie, who has over five years of experience with us, works as Dr. Williams’ Patient Coordinator. Melissa serves patients as the receptionist and has been at New Life for over four years. They will coordinate your appointments, make referrals to other physicians’ offices, and schedule surgeries. Their number 1 goal is to meet the satisfaction of all patients so don’t hesitate to let them know if you have a need.

Hospital Bariatric Service Coordinator

Our Hospital Bariatric Coordinator, Jessica Flanary, RN, BA, BSN, is an East Tennessee native. After completion of her BA degree in English in 2002, Jessica taught at the New Beginnings Christian Day School in New Delhi, India as an extension of a senior mission trip through King College. Through an affiliated medical clinic, Jessica also helped provide Preventative Health Education.

Jessica graduated with a BSN degree from King College in 2006. She has worked as a Registered Nurse at Parkwest Medical Center since 2006, serving as the hospital Bariatric Surgery Service Coordinator since 2008.

Jessica coordinates the daily operations of the post-operative Bariatric Surgery service line, including daily patient rounds and discharges, physician communication, staff training, and publication and facility-wide circulation of the monthly Bariatric Newsletter. Jessica also serves as the liaison between the hospital and office practice, helping provide a continuum of care between pre-operative services and the hospital stay.

For those interested in signing up through the office, Jessica leads a monthly complimentary Bariatric Tour at Parkwest Medical Center and also moderates the three surgery-specific Parkwest Support Groups that meet each month. Jessica also oversees both the Bariatric Angel Program and the Bariatric Ambassador Program. Training sessions for both programs are offered monthly by Jessica at Parkwest Medical Center.