SSM Weight-Loss Institute physicians and health professionals have helped to set – and maintain – the standard of the weight-loss industry. Our forward-thinking, progressive team has patented more than 40 weight-loss surgical and treatment techniques and is dedicated to providing you with the best care – and the best results.
Meet our experienced, compassionate, and high-performance team:
Roger A. de la Torre, MD – Bariatric Surgeon
Center of Excellence Surgeon by American Society for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery
Dr. Roger de la Torre is one of the first surgeons in the world to have performed a Roux-en-Y divided gastric bypass laparoscopically. He and his partner, Dr. J. Stephen Scott, developed and later published an often-cited article on their totally intra-abdominal approach to accomplish this operation.
Dr. de la Torre has participated in nearly 4,000 bariatric procedures, and has been designated a Center of Excellence surgeon by the American Society for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery. During his time in private practice, de la Torre has worked to develop numerous surgical devices, and holds more than 40 patents worldwide. One of these, for a surgical access port, has proven instrumental in initiating a whole new field of minimally invasive surgery.
Dr. de la Torre has been instrumental in training surgeons across the country on a variety of laparoscopic operations, including weight-loss surgery. He has been invited to speak and provide surgical instruction at hospitals and universities in several foreign countries. Dr. de la Torre’s many publications range from peer reviewed journal articles to chapters in several textbooks on surgery.
Dr. de la Torre is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency in General Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida. Shortly after going into private practice, he became recognized for his abilities as a laparoscopic surgeon.
To view Dr. de la Torre’s curriculum vitae, click here.
J. Stephen Scott, MD, FACS – Medical Director and Bariatric Surgeon
Center of Excellence Surgeon by the American Society for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery
Dr. J. Stephen Scott has spent years studying obesity and training to treat this condition as a surgeon. In 1996, he performed his first open Roux-en-Y divided gastric bypass and in 1997 became one of the first surgeons to ever perform this procedure laparoscopically. He has been involved in over 3,000 Roux-en-Y procedures since that time.
Dr. Scott is nationally recognized for his proficiency and expertise in many laparoscopic procedures. He has published and lectured extensively on several of these operations, and has served to proctor and teach these to a large number of surgeons across the country. As national laboratory director for the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons, Dr. Scott oversees the training provided to surgeons interested in surgical techniques and overall management of the morbidly obese. He was recently designated a Center of Excellence surgeon by the American Society for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery.
In 2000, Dr. Scott and his partner, Dr. Roger A. de la Torre, became Founders of Satiety Inc., along with world-renowned surgeon and inventor, Dr. Thomas J. Fogarty. This is a company which focuses on the endoscopic treatment of obesity. Furthermore, he has contributed to the development of several surgical instruments, which are sold worldwide.
Dr. Scott graduated from the University of Missouri School of Medicine in 1986. He completed his internship and residency in General Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida in 1991, and went into private practice the same year.
To view Dr. Scott’s curriculum vitae, click here.
Jessica Smith, MD – HMR Physician
Dr. Jessica Smith manages the non-surgical HMR® (Health Management Resources) program at SSM DePaul Health Center. She is a family practice physician trained in the identification and management of acute problems and chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.
Dr. Smith graduated from the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and completed her internship and residency at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria-Methodist Medical Center. She is board-certified in family medicine, and a member of the SSM DePaul Medical Group.
To view Dr. Smith’s curriculum vitae, click here.
Thomas A. Johnson, Jr., MD – HMR Physician
Dr. Thomas Johnson is board certified in family medicine and has spent more than three decades in private practice while also serving as an associate professor at both St. Louis University and the University of Missouri in Columbia.
Dr. Johnson’s mission to help impact the obesity epidemic facing America began in 1995. After personally gaining substantial weight, he developed heart disease. Dr. Johnson underwent cardiac bypass surgery and decided to dramatically change his lifestyle. He lost the weight and sought out educational opportunities that could help him help others. He began taking nutrition and lifestyle classes at both the Mayo Clinic and Washington University in St. Louis and also became an active member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
Today, Dr. Johnson is passionate about using medically proven interventions to help others reach a healthy weight and maintain it for a lifetime.
To view Dr. Johnson’s curriculum vitae, click here.
Diane Joyce, PsyD – Psychologist
Dr. Diane Joyce holds a masters degree in counseling and a doctorate in clinical psychology. Although her experience includes work with a multitude of psychological and behavioral issues, she has spent the past 12 years specializing in binge eating disorders and conducting pre-surgical psychological evaluations for surgical weight-loss patients. She has performed more than 3,000 such evaluations to date.
Dr. Joyce serves as vice-president of health for the St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society and is listed in “Who’s Who Among American Women” and Marquis’ “Who’s Who of American Women”.
To view Dr. Joyce’s curriculum vitae, click here.
Our Multidisciplinary Team
Nancy Corbett, Registered Nurse
Theresa Miller, Registered Nurse
Stephanie Lucido, Registered Nurse
Marilyn Barnicle, Regsitered Nurse
Jennifer Moffett, Registered Dietician
Steve Mauchenheimer, Exercise Physiologist
Kathy McCulloch, Registered Nurse
John Wagoner, Registered Nurse
Cari Breckel, Weight Management Education Specialist
Kayla Ramsey, Weight Management Education Specialist
Rebecca Riley, Weight Management Education Specialist
Lindsey Duehren, Weight Management Education Specialist
Patsy Beeson, Customer Relations/Office Coordinator
Liola Davis, Insurance Verification
Stacey Rulo, Department Assistant
Shirley Woodard, Department Assistant
Andrea Steber, Department Assistant
Geri Thiele, Department Assistant
Kathy Caton, Director