In this week's episode, host Karli Burridge speaks with fellow obesity specialist PA, Ledyi Ballesteros, about how Ledyi's own struggles with her weight led her to the field of obesity medicine, and how she has developed the obesity program at Gonzaba Medical Group, a multispecialty clinic in San Antonio TX, which serves a primarily low-income, elderly, Hispanic population. Ledyi explains how she developed the obesity program, and how she is able to help her patients using culturally sensitive, economic, patient and family-centered approaches.
Ledyenska “Ledyi” Baez Ballesteros, MPAS, PA-C
Ledyi—a bilingual provider treating patients who speak Spanish and English—began working in internal medicine and urgent care at Gonzaba Medical Group (GMG) in San Antonio, Texas in 2011. She founded the obesity medicine program at GMG in 2015 after gaining around 100 pounds after complications with her first pregnancy in 2014. Ledyi, who now has two kids, subsequently embarked on her own weight loss journey the following year, and her patients began to ask her about it. The resulting pilot program started with an estimated 60 patients. Today, she runs the obesity medicine program at GMG with nearly 700 patients, 75% of whom are Hispanic.
Ledyi completed AAPA’s Obesity Management in Primary Care Training & Certificate Program in 2018 and earned the Certificate of Advanced Education in Obesity Management for NPs and PAs from the Obesity Medicine Association in 2020. For the past 2 years, she has served as the the Secretary of PAs in Obesity Medicine, and she has been instrumental in helping PAOM become an official caucus of the AAPA.
Ledyi has presented on the topic of obesity to members of AAPA, the Association of PAs and NPs, Bexar County Society of PAs, the Society of Army PAs, and the Texas Association of PAs.
Contacts:
Email: ledyens@yahoo.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ledyi.ballesteros
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ledyenskaballesteros/
PAs in Obesity Medicine: pasinobesitymedicine.org
PAs Interested in Obesity Medicine Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/754655381353212
Gaining Health: https://gaininghealth.com/
The Gaining Health Podcast will release a new episode monthly, every second Wednesday of the month. Episodes including interviews with obesity experts as well as scientific updates and new guidelines for the management of obesity.
If you're a clinician or organization looking to start or optimize an obesity management program, and you want additional support and resources, check out the Gaining Health website! We offer monthly and annual Memberships, which include live group coaching, a community forum to ask questions and post resources, pre-recorded Master Classes, digital resources inlcuding patient education materials and office forms, and much more!
We also sell our popular Gaining Health products, including a book on developing an obesity management program, editable forms and templates, and patient education materials in our Gaining Health Shop!
If you are loving this podcast, please consider supporting us on Patreon