Meet Our Staff
Our bariatric team is instrumental in helping you lose weight and they are here to guide you on your journey to a healthier life.
In this video, Dr. Stelios Rekkas, Director of our Bariatric Program, gives you a tour of our facility and discusses the benefits of weight-loss surgery.

Stelios Rekkas
MD, FACS, FASMBS, Director of Bariatric Program
Our surgeon, Dr. Rekkas, graduated from the University of Florida, then attended medical school at Florida State University. He completed a fellowship in Minimally Invasive, Bariatric and Robotic Surgery at Jackson Hospital in Miami. In his free time, Dr. Rekkas can be found fishing, boating and traveling.

Julie Chorley
Physician Assistant
Julie received her Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from South University in Tampa. She lives in Parrish with her husband, son, dog and cat, and enjoys traveling, boating and reading in her spare time.

Candy Ramirez
Patient Advocate
Advocating for our patients, Candy assists Dr. Rekkas with his weight-loss patients and supports them in preparing for the procedure by organizing their weight-loss pathway to complete the requirements for surgery. Candy has been an employee of our larger multi-specialty physician group, Manatee Physician Alliance, for 12 years. She enjoys going to the beach, spending time with her three beautiful daughters and husband, and attending her daughter’s soccer games.

Fatima Osorio
Patient Navigator
Fatima has been with us since 2017. Her duties include insurance and benefit verification for new patients, scheduling, and communicating with our patients to ensure they are meeting the requirements to become successful candidates in our program. In her free time, Fatima enjoys listening to music and spending time with her family.

Kim Cummings
Licensed Practical Nurse
Kim has been an LPN for 17 years! Her role in our office is to greet patients, answer medical questions, facilitate medication refills, assist with in-office procedures and so much more. In her free time, Kim enjoys going to the beach and traveling with her two daughters.

Martha Benton
Bariatric Coordinator
Martha has worked in the medical field for 10 years. She brings her knowledge and compassion for helping others achieve their weight loss goals. Her goal? To make your hospital experience stress free and bring helpful concepts to your support group and activities. In her free time, Martha loves to cook and is constantly experimenting with new and healthy recipes.