About Us

About the Center for Weight Management

TriStar Centennial Medical Center

Welcome to TriStar Centennial Center for Weight Management about us page. Our comprehensive bariatric surgery program ensures the highest level of patient safety and support throughout your weight loss journey. Let our dedicated and experienced team of psychologists, registered dietitians, nurses, and insurance specialists partner with you in your journey to help. Our caring community of support groups and psychological aftercare provides a comprehensive support system for life.

Located in Nashville, Tennessee, TriStar Centennial Center for Weight Management was one of the first 12 programs in the country to be recognized as a Center of Excellence. We remain a fully accredited bariatric program. Drs. Douglas Olsen (Emeritus), David Dyer (Emeritus), and Hugh Houston have a combined 60+ years of experience and have performed over 10,000 laparoscopic and robotic bariatric procedures with complication rates well below the national average.

We specialize in Laparoscopic and Robotic Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, Laparoscopic and Robotic Roux-en-y Gastric Bypass, and Laparoscopic Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch for adults. We offer multiple options for non-surgical treatment for adults.

Celebrate all that life has to offer and reclaim your power over food! To get started, just click here to register for our online webinar.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know a little bit more about us. We look forward to getting to know you and how we can help you achieve your weight-loss goals.

Meet Our Bariatric Team

At Tri Star Center for Weight Management, patients are our top priority. We are very proud to offer one of the most comprehensive Weight Loss Surgery programs in the country. The goal of our our bariatric team is to partner with you to make your journey to health as successful as possible. *Please note, Drs. David Dyer and Hugh Houston are independent practitioners and not employed by TriStar Centennial Medical Center.

Meet the Surgeons
Meet the Staff

Meet the Surgeons

David N. Dyer, MD

Dr. Dyer has an extensive background in laparoscopic surgery. He was on the forefront of laparoscopic gallbladder surgery and trained numerous surgeons in this procedure. He began specializing in laparoscopic bariatric surgery in 2001 and has performed almost 3,000 bariatric procedures. In addition to minimally invasive surgical procedures, Dr. Dyer is also certified in the non-invasive placement and removal of the ORBERA® intra-gastric balloon. He provides compassionate, individualized care to all his patients, as they travel the road to a healthier and better lifestyle. Dr. Dyer is a past president of the Nashville Surgical Society and currently serves as Vice President of the Tennessee Chapter of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

Specialties: Bariatric and General Surgery
Phone: 615-342-5830
Fax: 615-342-5835
Medical School: University of Tennessee School for the Health Sciences, College of Medicine
Board Status: The American Board of Surgery
Residency: University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences; Chief Resident-Baptist Hospital

Click to visit the patient reviews of Dr. Dyer

Hugh L. Houston, MD

In 2003, Dr. Houston was one of the first surgeons in the country to complete a fellowship dedicated to laparoscopic bariatric surgery at Vanderbilt University. For the past 15 years, he has helped thousands of patients in the middle Tennessee area lose weight and is passionate about helping his patients achieve healthy lifestyles. He stays on the cutting edge of weight loss solutions being the first surgeon in the area to perform robotic gastric bypass surgery and place the ORBERA® intra-gastric balloon.

Specialties: Bariatric and General Surgery
Phone: 615-342-5820
Fax: 615-342-5816
Medical School: University of Louisville School of Medicine
Board Status: The American Board of General Surgery
Fellowship: Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Advanced Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery)
Residency: University of Cincinnati Hospital

Click to visit the patient reviews of Dr. Houston

Meet the Staff

Amy Smith FNP-C

Director of Bariatric Services Since 2021

Amy has been a nurse since 1993. She has a masters in holistic nursing and is a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She started out her nursing career in high school as a candy striper in obstetrics at Williamson County Hospital. Amy worked as a nursing tech at Baptist Hospital in Knoxville on the neurology floor in nursing school, then went into the operating room out of college and became a circulating nurse. She has taught perioperative education, managed instrument reprocessing and worked as a nurse practitioner in medical weight management.

Amy is a breast cancer survivor; this life experience has opened her heart and mind enabling her to inspire others about health and wellness which is incredibly fulfilling. She is passionate about the whole person mind, body and spirit. Working in weight management gives her the opportunity to continually improve the quality, safety, care and treatment of the whole person through the Center of Excellence here at TriStar Centennial Medical Center.

Kristi Cotham

Program Manager since 2011

Kristi has been with HCA Healthcare since 2004 and with our Bariatric program since 2011. She has extensive experience in adult education, training and working with insurers. Kristi works with you primarily before surgery at the informational webinar and working with the Insurance Specialist to obtain insurance approval for your surgery. Additionally, Kristi represents our program at employer and community health fairs, often leads preoperative education classes and works closely with Provider Relations. As the manager for the program, Kristi is a resource and mentor to our team.

Jan Beyer, MS, RD, LDN, CNSC

Registered Dietitian since 2015

Jan is a registered dietitian and has been with our team since 2015. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Western Kentucky University and a Master of Science degree in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Memphis. She completed her Dietetic internship at the University of Memphis. She is also a Certified Nutrition Support Clinician through the National Board of Nutrition Support Certification. She will provide your nutrition education related to bariatric surgery or medical weight loss, and coach you through your nutrition-related behavioral change. You will work with Jan during your preparation for surgery classes, medical weight loss program, and one on one visits.

Kendra Casselberry

Insurance Specialist Since 2018

Kendra is one of the first points of contact you will encounter with our program. She has been with our team since 2018 and will help to guide you through the steps for surgery from webinar to insurance approval. Our Insurance Specialists are experts in bariatric surgery and insurance coordination.

Yolunda Brown

Insurance Specialist since 2022

Yolunda is one of the first points of contact you will encounter with our program. Yolunda has been with our team since 2022 and will help to guide you through the steps for surgery from webinar to insurance approval. Our Insurance Specialists are experts in bariatric surgery and insurance coordination.

Weight Loss Results

When it comes to quantifying weight loss results, Centennial Center for Weight Management uses a comprehensive approach to ensure desired patient outcomes.

American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) combined their respective national bariatric surgery accreditation programs into a single unified program to achieve one national accreditation standard for bariatric surgery centers, the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP).
MBSAQIP works to advance safe, high-quality care for bariatric surgical patients through the accreditation of bariatric surgical centers. A bariatric surgical center achieves accreditation following a rigorous review process during which it proves that it can maintain certain physical resources, human resources, and standards of practice. All accredited centers report their outcomes to the MBSAQIP database.†

In 2005, TriStar Centennial Center for Weight Management was one of the first 12 programs in the country to receive a Center of Excellence designation. In 2015, we completed our third renewal survey and inspection. We are now a fully accredited center with adolescent qualifications.

We are very proud of our high quality, comprehensive program which delivers weight loss results. Please review our outcomes compared to national data points. To hear from our patients, please click here

Laparoscopic Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy

	National	Centennial
Volume of Cases	202,704	734
Complication Rates*	2%	0.40%
Leak	0.20%	0.10%
Ulcer	0.0%	0.0%
Readmitted with Nausea and Vomiting	1.30%	0.40%
Mortality Rate**	0.10%	0.0%
Percentage Excess Weight Loss at 2 Years***	59%	63%

Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass

	National	Centennial
Volume of Cases	81,845	203
Complication Rates*	4.40%	3%
Leak	0.30%	0.50%
Ulcer	0.30%	1%
Readmitted with Nausea and Vomiting	2.10%	2%
Mortality Rate**	0.20%	0.0%
Percentage Excess Weight Loss at 2 Years***	62%	77%

*complication rates within 30 days of procedure 01/01/2015 through 12/31/2016

**mortality rates within 30 days of procedure 01/01/2015 through 12/31/2016

***EWL represents patients with a surgery date between 01/01/2012 and 12/31/2014

†https://www.facs.org/quality-programs/mbsaqip

Our Location

Our bariatric clinic is located on the TriStar Centennial Medical Center campus in the heart of Music City. TriStar Center for Weight Management is part of a comprehensive healthcare facility delivering excellence in care to those affected by obesity.

Address:
2200 Murphy Ave
Nashville, TN 37203

One of the many unique features of our program is that all services are in one location. The Center for Weight Management houses our bariatric clinic, surgeons, dietitians, exercise physiologist, nurses, insurance specialists, lab and support groups. Surgery takes place just across the street at TriStar Women’s Hospital.