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Our Staff

Laura L. Machado, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Dr. Machado is the founder and medical director of Sacramento Bariatric Medical Associates. She formed Sacramento Bariatric in an effort to provide comprehensive, state-of-the-art surgical care for patients who suffer from morbid obesity. Dr. Machado graduated with honors from California State University, Stanislaus in 1990 with a degree in biological sciences. She received her doctorate of medicine from the University of California, San Diego in 1995. Dr. Machado completed her surgical residency at the University of California, Davis Medical Center and entered private practice in July 2000.

Dr. Machado's patients have benefited from her advanced laparoscopic skills and experience. She received advanced laparoscopic Bariatric training at Montefiore Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery in 2003. She is an active member of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery and a participating surgeon in an NIH research project, LABS (Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery).

Dr. Machado is Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. She brings an honest, personal approach to patient care and believes in the importance of long-term care after weight loss surgery.

Sandra Rowlee, MS, RN, ACNP-CS

Sandra Rowlee is the dedicated Nurse Practitioner for Sacramento Bariatric. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Azuza Pacific University in 1991. Sandra earned her Master's Degree from the University of California, San Francisco in 1997. After graduating she attended the University of Pennsylvania and received her postmaster's critical care certificate in 1998. Sandra has worked as a Nurse Practitioner for the Mercy San Juan Trauma program for five years and has gained experience in managing the most critically ill patients. She is also an associate clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco Department of Physiological Nursing. Having Ms. Rowlee at Sacramento Bariatric allows us to efficiently care for our patients as they progress through the Bariatric program. She is our first assistant in surgery and provides invaluable inpatient and outpatient care.

Ruth Magee, Bariatric Coordinator

Sacramento Bariatric is fortunate to have a dedicated Bariatric coordinator of Ruth's caliber. Ruth brings over 18 years of medical office management experience to our program. She is an expert in insurance coding and authorizations. Ruth is the person that helps our patients navigate through the insurance approval process. She will also be coordinating your progress through our program. This includes preoperative testing and authorization, surgery scheduling, and postoperative follow-up. Ruth is one of the most dedicated professionals in her field and truly cares about the well being of our patients.

Tracy Toms, Registered Dietitian

Tracy Toms joins Sacramento Bariatric as our registered dietitian. She has a great deal of experience dealing with nutritional management in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings. Tracy has developed an interest in Bariatric patients and assists our patients in various ways. She assists some patients preoperatively in order to make effective nutritional changes that they will incorporate and continue following surgery. As Bariatric surgery is a life-changing event, she also works with our postoperative patients at various phases in their progression following surgery. She also is a regular leader of our monthly support groups. Tracy completes the spectrum of a full-service, comprehensive Bariatric program.

Julie French, Medical Receptionist and Surgery Coordinator

Julie French is the friendly voice on the phone when you contact us. She helps patients coordinate their preoperative test, scheduling needs and postoperative visits. Julie provides quality customer service to all our patients.

Iselin Austrheim-Smith, Research Coordinator

Iselin is our clinical research coordinator. She is responsible for patient enrollment in the NIH obesity research study. LABS (Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery) is a bariatric surgery study of national importance. Iselin is an invaluable part of the research program, and has vast experience in clinical research.

Walter Ford, IT Administrator

Walter Ford is not only an avid cyclist and BMW enthusiast, but our dedicated IT administrator. He keeps our computer systems and database in compliance, and manages our online bulletin board. Walter has many years of experience and holds numerous certifications.