Support Group Info

• General Information 
• Handicapped Parking
• Attendance Requirements
• Types of Meetings
• Dates and Details of Upcoming Meetings

General Information

Time: All meetings begin at 6:30 pm.

Location: All meetings take place in the Allen-Riddle Living Room on the Newton-Wellesley Hospital Campus. View Hospital map (pdf)

Directions to Hospital

Directions to Allen-Riddle Building: Turn off of Route 16 at the traffic light leading into the hospital campus.  Drive up the driveway with the parking garage on your right. Allen-Riddle is on your left at the top of the hill. 

Parking: All parking must be validated by the Hospital staff person at the meeting. All support group attendees may park in the Patient/Visitor Parking Garage located at the Hospital's East Entrance. Please do not use the Emergency Department Parking Garage. Parking located close to the Allen-Riddle building should be reserved for handicapped persons and the severely physically impaired. 
Parking is validated for support group meetings only. You are expected to pay for parking at your regularly scheduled appointments.

Handicapped Parking

Handicapped Patients:  Those patients who are handicapped, or have severely impaired mobility, may continue to park:

1. in the Emergency Department Patient/Visitor Garage located at the rear of the hospital (validation still needed) or
   
2. in the small number of parking spaces (handicapped and non-handicapped) located in the rear of the Allen Riddle Building. 
   

Due to the limited number of handicapped parking located close to the building, we would encourage those persons whenever possible, to bring someone with them to the meeting who may be able to assist - or drop off that individual in front of the Allen-Riddle Building - in the event that this area is full.

The handicapped entrance to Allen-Riddle is located at the right side of the meeting hall as you face the building. There is a small courtyard and picnic table in this area.

Attendance Requirements

Pre-operative Patients: Prior to performing surgery, we require our patients to attend three support group meetings:

1. The New Patient Instructional (done before your first appointment)
2. One community support meeting
3. One 0-6 month group

This is the minimum number of meetings you need to attend. You can come to more meetings which will provide you with the most information and education available in preparation for your surgery. 

Attendance is taken to track compliance. It is your responsibility to make sure your attendance is noted by one of the Newton-Wellesley Hospital's Center for Weight Loss Surgery staff members.  If you arrive very late, or leave very early, you will be expected to come to an additional meeting.

 Types of Meetings

 New Patient Instructional Meetings:  

• These meetings are designed for pre-consultation patients. The surgeons take turns presenting this program and focus on how gastric bypass surgery is done, why and how it works, complications, results, etc. 
• We do not perform lap-band surgery.
  
• Meeting time: This group meets the last Thursday of each month.  Attendance is required at this group before a patient can come to the office for a consultation. It is your responsibility to have your attendance noted.

 Community Support Group Meetings:   

• This is open to all CWLS pre- and post-surgical patients. The group addresses all aspects the gastric bypass patient faces and includes guest speakers, workshops and patient interviews. A surgeon and nutritionist are usually in attendance. 
• Attendance is required at least once before surgery and regular attendance before and after surgery is strongly recommended. 
• Meeting time: This group meets the first Thursday and third Tuesday of each month.
  

 0-6 Month Group: 

• Open to pre-, new, and post-operative patients who have had surgery within the last six months. 
• This group is led by a fellow gastric bypass patient who is able to provide unique insight into the challenges (diet, body image, food issues, support, etc.) of this post-operative stage.
• Attendance is required at least once before surgery.
• Meeting time:This group meets the second Thursday of each month except where noted on the schedule below. 

Staff Request: Please limit your questions and discussions with staff persons in the time allocated for the assigned support group. Specific and/or personal questions or concerns should be addressed with staff during normal business hours.

Dates and Details of Upcoming Meetings

The dates for each group are listed below chronologically:

Please check http://www.nwh.org/weightloss for updates regarding topics and speakers. Also visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/nwhweightloss