Sanford Bemidji to host Doc Talk on weight loss options
September 9, 2026
Contact:
Jillian Johnson
Media Relations Specialist –Bemidji Region
(218) 333-6090 / jillian.johnson@sanfordhealth.org
BEMIDJI, Minn. – Sanford Health will host a Doc Talk, “Explore Your Weight Loss Options,” from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24, at the Sanford Center, 1111 Event Center Dr. NE, in Bemidji. Attendees should use the convention center entrance near the hotel.
Weight loss solutions start with understanding the options available. Join bariatric surgery team members Michael Joannides, MD, Dave Faugno-Fusci, MD, and Kayla Persons, RN, to learn more about weight loss medications, including GLP-1 medications, as well as surgical approaches.
The team will discuss available options, help participants understand what may be right for their individual health goals and answer questions. The weight loss panel will cover:
- Gastric bypass surgery
- Gastric sleeve surgery
- Revisional bariatric surgery
- Weight loss medications
Refreshments will be available at 5 p.m. and the one-hour presentation will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Lakeview Rooms and will include time for questions. The event is free to attend, but registration is required.
To register or learn more, visit https://www.sanfordhealth.org/classes-and-events/doc-talk-bemidji/9-24-26 or call (218) 333-5862.
Sanford Health is dedicated to providing the communities it serves with relevant and up-to-date health information. Doc Talk is a free education series where Sanford physicians present and answer questions on a wide variety of topics.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization has 55,000 employees and serves more than 2 million patients and nearly 415,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes a network of 58 hospitals, 289 clinic locations, 145 senior care communities, 4,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and 1,100 active clinical trials and studies. The organization’s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to nearly 80 specialties. More than 400 residents and fellows are trained each year through graduate medical education with Sanford Health fully funding and supporting 29 of the 40 available programs. Sanford Health also includes Lewis Drug, a pharmacy and retail chain with 60 locations in three states and nearly 190 pharmacists. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
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