We are pleased to announce that Dr. Johnell's Bariatric Surgery Program at the North Colorado Medical Center has just been designated as a Center of Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS). 

Dr. Johnell is an advanced laparoscopic bariatric surgeon, specializing in the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (15 cc micro-pouch), and the Adjustable LAP-BAND® procedure. Bariatric surgery constitutes 98% of his practice. He has 21 years of general surgery experience, 15 years of advanced laparoscopic surgery experience, and 4 years of laparoscopic bariatric surgery experience.

Dr. Johnell is a native of Long Island, New York. He and his family came to Greeley, Colorado (via New Jersey, Missouri, and Florida) to develop his own bariatric surgery program through the Greeley Medical Clinic in June of 2001. After the laparoscopic gastric bypass procedure was introduced in the U.S., Dr. Johnell completed specialized training in the procedure at Southwestern University in Dallas, Texas. In the year 2000, he integrated the laparoscopic gastric bypass into his general surgery practice in Panama City, Florida. After sixteen years in a group practice in Florida, he was recruited to Greeley. He now performs as many as six gastric bypasses and four LAP-BAND® procedures each week. As of August 2004, Dr. Johnell has performed over 430 gastric bypasses and over 210 adjustable Lap-Band procedures.  In this series of nearly 640 patients, fewer than 2% of cases have had to be converted from a laparoscopic approach to an open procedure.

Dr. Johnell did his undergraduate work at Hofstra University in Long Island, New York. He then attended Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. General surgery residency training was undertaken at New York University, New York City, and Rutgers Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey. He went on to St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, for a fellowship in cardio thoracic surgery. Dr. Johnell is board certified in general surgery by the American Board of Medical Specialties, is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and is a member of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery.

Dr. Johnell is affiliated with Banner Health at the North Colorado Medical Center. To find out about the program please click here.