OHA gave a $100,000 grant to Queen’s Medical Center for its Native Hawaiian Health Study to support Hawaiian patients undergoing bariatric surgery, including pre- and post-op. Insurance doesn’t cover everything, so the grant can help 28 Native Hawaiians get the surgery and pay related expenses that aren’t covered, such as medication. Queen’s Comprehensive Weight Management Program has done one surgery so far, and we are here to learn more about this program. The surgeon, Cedric Lorenzo MD, is the Medical Director of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Queen’s Medical Center. He is also an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the John A. Burns School of Medicine. The patient, Jonathan Moniz, was the first Native Hawaiian Health Study participant . He had a sleeve gastrectomy on April 27, 2010 and at the time of his last clinic visit at the end of October he had already lost 120 lbs. His Type 2 diabetes mellitus has resolved and he no longer requires diabetes meds. Featured Guest: Valerie Kauhane RN, BSN; Coordinator CWMP, Cedric Lorenzo MD and Jonathan Moniz