Your team at CHA includes Bariatric surgeons, nutritionists, behavioral therapists, physical therapists, and nurses who understand weight loss surgery. Together, we give you the tools to help you lose weight, maintain health, and make lifestyle changes for long-term success.
Siva Vithiananthan, MD, FACS, FASMBS, FICS - Bariatric Surgeon
Associate Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
Dr. Vithiananthan is an internationally-known surgeon who serves as Chief of Surgery at Cambridge Health Alliance and an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School.
With over 20 years experience in gastrointestinal and bariatric (weight and metabolic) surgery, he has helped thousands of patients achieve success in their weight loss journey. His goal is to provide every patient with expert clinical care as well as respect, understanding and compassion. He understands the struggles of weight loss, and wants to help everyone live their best lives.
A graduate of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Dr. Vithiananthan completed residency at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA. He then completed fellowships in advanced laparoscopic surgery and surgical critical care at New York Presbyterian Hospital and the University of Connecticut/Hartford Hospital. He is board-certified in general surgery and surgical critical care. He led the Bariatric Surgery Program at Rhode Island Hospital and Miriam Hospital in RI for 14 years during which the program earned accreditation through the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) and was named a Center of Excellence by numerous insurers. Dr. Vithiananthan continues to serve a Site Surveyor for the national MBSAQIP program.
Megan McCarthy, MS, RDN, LDN - Dietician
Megan McCarthy is a bariatric dietitian who completed her Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and dietetic internship from Georgia Southern University. She also has a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from Georgia Southern University.
Megan has experience working as an inpatient and outpatient dietitian and has had a wide variety of nutrition experience ranging from bariatric surgery, community nutrition, diabetes, long term care, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and more. She is also a certified group fitness instructor and has taught classes for over 15 years.
Southey Saul, PhD - Clinical Psychologist
Instructor in Psychology, Harvard Medical School
Southey Saul, PhD, is a Clinical Psychologist in Primary Care Behavioral Health Integration (PCBHI) and an Instructor in Psychology at Harvard Medical School. She earned her Masters and PhD at the University of Rhode Island, where she collaborated with Dr. James Prochaska in researching multiple health behavior change using the Transtheoretical Model (“Stages of Change”). Dr. Saul completed her predoctoral internship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s (BIDMC) Massachusetts Mental Health Center and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at VA Boston in the Behavioral Medicine service delivering evidence-based interventions as part of multidisciplinary care teams in the bariatric, pulmonary, cardiac and dialysis clinics. She also provided services for weight management, smoking cessation, chronic pain, insomnia, and adjustment to medical conditions.
Over the past four years, Dr. Saul has worked at CHA in our Primary Care practices, serving as a key member of the Primary Care team in delivering patient-centered interventions targeting a variety of behavioral health needs. She maintains particular interest in weight management, preparing for bariatric surgery, coping with chronic medical conditions, stress management, and chronic pain. Dr. Saul also contributes to CHA’s Primary Care Group Medical Visits in promoting health behavior change and self-management of chronic health conditions. Dr. Saul also serves as a clinical supervisor to trainees in PCBHI.
Ann Peters, RN, MBA - Program Administrator
Ann Peters, is a nurse manager in the CHA Department of Surgery and administrator of the Bariatric Surgery program. With over 30 years nursing experience, Ann is an incredibly skilled patient advocate who is able to support you during your weight loss journey.
Known throughout CHA for her patient-first approach, Ann is a main point of contact for patients interested in bariatric surgery and those who have joined our program. Throughout her career, Ann has been an ICU nurse and longtime nurse leader (20+ years) who has helped launch two bariatric surgery programs. Like many of us at CHA, in her personal life she is obsessed with dogs.