Meet the Team

To learn more about our program and how we can help, please call us at (805) 332-8446. 

Dr. Carol McCloskey, MD, FACS

Dr. McCloskey is an experienced bariatric surgeon and has performed more than 2,000 bariatric surgery procedures over the last ten years. She performs a wide range of surgery procedures; in addition to minimally invasive gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy surgeries, she offers advanced techniques in hernia repair, anti-reflux surgeries, and routine general surgery. She emphasizes minimally invasive and laparoscopic techniques that reduce pain and shorten recovery times.

Dr. McCloskey received her medical degree from University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and went on to complete her surgery residency at University of Pittsburgh as well. She performed an additional year of fellowship at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in minimally invasive bariatric and general surgery, making her an expert in this field. Dr. McCloskey is Board Certified in Surgery since 2006. She joined the Weight Loss Surgery Institute of the Central Coast team in 2015. She serves as the Medical Director.

Maryna Chumakova-Orin, MD

Dr. Chumakova-Orin is board-certified in general surgery. She earned her Medical Degree at Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University School of Medicine and Science. She completed her General Surgery residency at Cleveland Clinic Foundation. During her fellowship training at Duke University Medical Center, one of the most prestigious bariatric surgery fellowships, she was fortunate to work with some of the leaders in the field and has performed hundreds of cases including sleeve gastrectomies, Roux-en-Y gastric bypasses, duodenal switches as well as revisional surgery.
 

Dr. Chumakova-Orin was born and raised in Belarus and moved to the US during her senior year of high school. She has a black belt in karate and has competed in numerous championships around the world. When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children.

Paetu Yang, ACSM, CEP

Paetu is the Exercise Physiologist at Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation. He is certified through the American College of Sports Medicine as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from California State University of Fresno. He also assists with the bariatric program in administering fitness assessments and providing patients guidance on starting a new exercise program..

Kim Blanton, BSN, RN
Kim Blanton is our Bariatric Nurse Program Coordinator.  She has been a nurse for more than 19 years and has experience in multiple fields of nursing including; Administration, Critical Care, Telemetry, Antepartum, and Med Surg. As the Bariatric Nurse Coordinator she has extensive training regarding the care of the morbidly obese and bariatric surgical patients.  

Kim completed her BSN at Holy Names University in Oakland, Ca. Kim carries certifications in Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support. She is excited to be part of the Bariatric multi-disciplinary team and enjoys helping patients achieve their goals with weight loss and improving their overall health.

Mary Diemert, PA-C

Mary is our Physician Assistant. She graduated from Weill Cornell Surgical PA program. She received her clinical and surgical education in New York City and came out to the Central Coast after her training. She works with our surgeons to provide the best care in the clinic as well as the operating room. She enjoys educating patients on how best to walk through this process and strives to give patients the information they need to make good health decisions before and after their surgery. 

 

Andrea Hughes, MS, RDN, CDCES

Andrea has been a registered dietitian for over 20 years and now she works exclusively at the Weight Loss Surgery Institute of the Central Coast on the multidisciplinary bariatric team with our patients. Andrea graduated from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Science degree in Food Science and Nutrition, two Master of Science degrees from Mississippi State University and earned and maintained certification in diabetes over 15 years ago. Andrea has worked in many healthcare settings from 15 years exclusively in pregnancy and in various fields of nutrition; head-start to hospice and management. 

Currently, Andrea works with our patients both before and after surgery, teaching them about the unique nutritional needs pre and post metabolic bariatric surgery. Andrea’s goal is to help patients feel comfortable with their bariatric care while assisting patients to confidently use their weight loss “tool” for success and maintenance as well as to provide support long-term for optimal health and nutrition.

Learn More

To learn more about our program and how we can help, please call (805) 332-8446.