Rheumatology and Obesity Management Services

At Decatur County Hospital, we believe you should have access to the specialists you need, who provide the care you deserve. In the DCH Outpatient Clinic, we pride ourselves on providing access to specialty services that are not readily available in our region, such as rheumatology care and obesity management.

In the DCH Outpatient Clinic, our full-time provider, Libby Allen, ARNP, FNP, is available eighteen (18) days each month to provide rheumatology and obesity management services to our community members.

If you are living with arthritis, gout, lupus, osteoporosis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, or another rheumatic condition, Libby’s expertise in rheumatology care may provide some answers and solutions to decrease your pain. She can help look for answers to your underlying condition(s) and develop a plan to treat the symptoms and improve your quality of life.

Our Obesity Management Clinic is a customized effective solution to help you lose weight and increase the quality of your health. When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s natural to want to meet your weight loss goals quickly. But, our goal is to help you make life-long changes.

Libby is experienced in providing individualized care to help you be successful, and to find a program that meets your needs. Libby will monitor your medical conditions along with your primary care provider, while providing guidance on medical interventions that may help you lose weight.

While diets can provide a short-term benefit to kick start weight loss, overeating is not the only cause of obesity, it is a different set of factors for everyone. As you gain excess weight, the additional fat damages many of your organs, which can decrease your life expectancy by up to 10 years. In addition to the shortened life expectancy, your risk for these diseases increase with the more weight you carry: hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, sleep apnea, heart attacks, pulmonary embolism (blood clot traveling to the lungs), deep venous thrombosis (blood clot in the leg), GERD (heartburn/acid reflux), ulcers on the legs, cancer, and more.

A successful obesity management plan does not look the same for everyone. During your initial consultation with Libby, she will do an evaluation to learn about your lifestyle, past history with weight loss, genetic factors, and other health concerns. After this consultation, Libby will work directly with you to develop a plan for your weight loss goals. Ongoing monitoring will ensure that the program works for you, and will provide opportunity for adjustment to meet your goals.

In addition to providing coaching about healthy lifestyle changes including improved diet, increased physical activity, and possible medical interventions, Libby may help patients by also 1) providing referrals to our Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetic Educator Linda Klejch, 2) providing referrals to our other clinics (endocrinology, orthopedic surgery, chronic pain, urology, cardiology, general and vascular surgery, podiatry, neurology, and more), and 3) giving advice on medications that may help you lose weight. These medications may help decrease appetite, cut food cravings, increase the feeling of fullness, and decrease absorption of fat. A successful medication plan does not look the same for everyone.

Libby is featured in videos about these services, which are available on our website and YouTube channel. To view these videos, visit www.decaurcountyhospital.org/rheumatology, or www.decaturcountyhospital.org/weightloss, or search for “Decatur County Hospital” on YouTube and you will be able to watch all of our videos.

Libby is currently accepting new patients in her Rheumatology and Obesity Management clinics. To schedule your visit, call the DCH Outpatient Clinic at 641-446-2285. To learn more about Decatur County Hospital and our available services, please visit www.decaturcountyhospital.org, or follow us on Facebook and Instagram @DecaturCountyHospitalIowa.