Our team is second-to-none in both quality and experience, and these are just a few of the members of the experienced team that will be helping you each step of the way.  We now have 20 people on our staff, most of them are not only compassionate professionals but also patients of Dr. Curry! 

Trace W. Curry, M.D.
Medical Director, The Center for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery

Minimally Invasive Weight Loss Surgeon

dr.c@thebanddoctor.com

Dr. Curry is a board-certified general surgeon who specializes in minimally invasive weight loss surgery, and is a Lap Band patient himself. He is a Cincinnati native and trained at Good Samaritan Hospital. He is the director of bariatric surgery at The Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati and JourneyLite of Cincinnati, and the Fast Track Metabolic Weight Loss Center. He has performed well over 2000 laparoscopic gastric bands, 850 laparoscopic bypasses, and 150 sleeve gastrectomies, making him one of the most experienced laparoscopic gastric band and laparoscopic gastric bypass surgeons in the country. 

Dr. Curry has done more LAP BANDS^® and REALIZE BANDS^® than any other bariatric surgeon in Ohio, and he is the only Lap Band faculty surgeon in the region who has been chosen by Allergan (the manufacturer of the Lap Band) as well as Ethicon Endo-Surgery (the manufacturer of the Realize Band) to be a proctor to teach other surgeons to do the procedure.  He is also a sleeve gastrectomy proctor for W.L. Gore.

Dr. Curry is also well-known for his accessibility, and he frequently has patients from all over the country contacting him for advice and guidance. He even spends time on the ObesityHelp.com message board helping patients. He makes himself freely available by email so if you have any questions just write to him.  Being a patient himself gives him a truly unique perspective about the journey you are taking.

Dr. Curry's practice is certified as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence.

Lisa Gergen, CNP/CBN
Director of Clinical Operations, Clinical Nurse Practitioner/Certfied Bariatric Nurse
lisa@thebanddoctor.com

Lisa is an advanced registered nurse practitioner and has extensive experience in managing surgical weight loss patients. She is the only NP in the region who is certified by the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and is one of the few program coordinators in the country that actually scrubs in and assists at surgery.  Their experience as a team in completing nearly two thousand cases together is critical to your care.   Lisa is always available for band adjustments, clinical questions, or advice.  She is on the consulting faculty for Ethicon Endo-Surgery and has been a
member of American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery since 2003.  Lisa is an Allergan-certified LAP BAND^® Champion.

Erin Sullivan, CNP
Program Coordinator, Clinical Nurse Practitioner
sully@thebanddoctor.com

Erin is an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner who is certified in acute care and is also a Lap Band® patient.  She is the Bariatric Program Coordinator at Jewish Hospital, and she provides both pre-op and post-op care to our patients as well as band adjustments in the office.  Being a patient she has a unique perspective as a fill practitioner and is also obviously well-versed in bandster rules and regulations! Erin is an Allergan-certified LAP BAND® Champion.

Erin Hurst, RD/LD
Registered, Licensed Dietitian
erin@thebanddoctor.com

Erin is our dietitian who educates our patients before surgery and counsels them after. She specializes in surgical weight loss patients and also is available for Medifast diet counseling. She is one of the few dietitians in the country who is also a LAP-BAND® patient, making her expertise unsurpassed!  She is also one of our most successful band patients, having lost 100% of her excess body weight since surgery.  Erin is an Allergan-certified Lap Band® Champion.

Rebecca Erdman, RD/LD, MSN
Registered, Licensed Dietitian
rebecca@thebanddoctor.com

Rebecca is a registered dietitian who has a Master's Degree from Tuft's University and has the personal accomplishment of having lost 160 lbs through hard work, diet, and exercise.  Rebecca, like so many others who have struggled to keep weight off after diet and exercise, she too started to slowly regain the weight.  But she is now a band patient on her way down to goal!  Along with Erin, she counsels patients before and after surgery but mainly focuses on the Metabolic Fast Track Weight Loss Center, our nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle program for surgical weight loss patients.   Rebecca is an Allergan-certified LAP BAND® Champion.

Tracy Burch
Office Manager/Insurance Coordinator
tracy@thebanddoctor.com

Tracy is our office manager and also leads our 3-member insurance team. She has handled over 2,500 cases and knows how to get people approved quickly and efficiently! She can also assist you with financing options if you are looking to self-pay.  Tracy was recently banded herself and has been very successful with her weight loss.  Tracy is an Allergan-certified LAP BAND® Champion.

Charles Burhman, PsyD
Dr. Burhman is an experienced mental health professional who has been doing weight loss surgery evaluations for many years.  He sees patients in our office all day on Wednesdays and participates in most insurance plans.   He also can assist with post-operative counseling either here in our office or in one of his private office locations!

Charity Smith
Accounts manager/Surgery Scheduler
charity@thebanddoctor.com

Charity is the person who is in charge of scheduling surgeries and handles patient accounts as well. Be nice to her and she will get you the surgery date you want!  Charity is an Allergan-certified LAP BAND® Champion.