Name: Kathy Freeman, RN
Position: Bariatric program coordinator
Location: Erlanger hospital
Best part of the job: To be able to take patients step by step through the bariatric program and to be able to do it as someone who was in the same situation that they were in. She lost 145 pounds with her own bariatric surgery 22 months ago. “I have been able to completely come off of blood pressure medication. I no longer see a doctor for chronic joint pain. My energy level has skyrocketed. I have been able to experience lots of new things in life.” She went ziplining in Belize last week.
Worst part of the job: “The worst part of the job is when somebody’s insurance won’t cover somebody’s surgery, when you can’t help make the surgery possible for someone. Having been there, understanding the struggle, both emotional and physical with being obese, I have a strong desire to help the patients improve their health as much as mine has improved.”
Best advice: “Each person, no matter what their struggle is, is an individual. Everyone has the right to be treated as someone special no matter their size or disability.”
How to make a career of it: A registered nurse, Freeman has worked at Erlanger for 31 years. Her involvement with bariatric surgery patients came from research surrounding her own surgery. She has kept up with continuing education and is pursuing bariatric nurse certification.
Compiled by staff writer Holly Leber, hleber@timesfreepress.com