Las Cruces, NM (Jan. 15, 2024) – Memorial Weight Loss Center of New Mexico unveiled today a new name and brand to better reflect the spectrum of services provided to patients from across New Mexico. Memorial Weight Loss Center will now be called the New Mexico Bariatric Institute. It will continue to provide services to patients in the same location and under the direction of Dr. Frank Felts, MD, FACS, FASMBS, and Dr. Fermin Fontan, MD, FACS, FASMBS.
“We are pleased to be able to share this new identity with our community and greater region,” said John Harris, CEO of Memorial Medical Center. “The new name and brand underscore the specialization that we have at our practice as well as the work that our talented providers and staff have put in to grow our bariatrics program. We are honored to provide bariatric and weight loss services to the patients in our community and beyond.”
While the practice is getting a new look, it’s important to note that the quality care provided to patients is not changing. “We want to emphasize that only the practice name and brand are changing. Patients will receive the same high-quality care as always, with the same physicians, providers and staff and in the same location,” added Harris.
New Mexico Bariatric Institute will continue to offer patients the same compassionate, comprehensive care that has been a hallmark of the practice for years. The practice’s multidisciplinary approach to bariatric services includes surgical and medical weight loss providers working collaboratively with dietitians, insurance and intake coordinators, psychologists, and experienced surgical teams to ensure successful, safe, quality care at every step of a patient’s weight loss journey.
The institute employs a bilingual staff of dedicated professionals who want to help patients achieve their weight loss and health goals.
Born and raised in Argentina, Dr. Fontan speaks English and Spanish fluently, bringing a bilingual treatment option for his patients. Dr. Fontan is a robotically trained, board-certified general surgeon specializing in metabolic and weight loss surgery. He performs laparoscopic gastric adjustable banding, sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass and duodenal switch bariatric procedures. Dr. Felts is a board-certified surgeon. He has more than 10 years of experience in bariatric surgery and established the first Comprehensive Bariatric Center in Las Cruces. He performs metabolic and bariatric surgery, as well as foregut surgery, all with a focus on nutrition, health and wellness.
Memorial Medical Center, where Dr. Felts and Dr. Fontan perform all surgical cases, features comfortable, private rooms where bariatric patients can receive pre-and post-operative care all in one location. Memorial is a Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Distinction Center for Bariatrics, and an Accredited Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program.
New Mexico Bariatric Institute remains located at 2100 S. Triviz, Suite G in Las Cruces. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM.