The UM Center for Weight Management & Wellness

Meet Some of Our Team

Janice Bryant
Practic Coordinator

Seeing that every step works smoothly as far as each patient is concerned is one of Janice's primary responsibilities. She wants patients to know they'll be well cared for by her and other team members.Janice is known as the office problem-solver. She is the behind-the-scences person who makes sure that the program and its clinics operate efficiently and effectively. In addition to four previous years as a University of Maryland Medical Center employee, Jancie spent twelve years at a community medical center working for health care administration and serving as a patient advocate.

Mary Beth Sodus
Registered Dietitian

More than 10 years of experience as a dietitian and nutrition counselor have made Mary Beth a passionate instructor on topics such as low-fat nutrition, label reading, and food safety. Mary Beth - a specialist in gastric bypass nutrition - has written teaching tools that empower gastric bypass patients to practice smart, healthy eating habits. Mary Beth’s background in medical nutrition therapy for obese as well as diabetic patients ensures that she will ably assist patients in making important lifestyle changes. "It's not just about the foods but also about making wise choices," she says. Mary Beth, who practices yoga and ballroom dancing in her spare time, also believes strongly in the importance of exercise.

Nadja Muchow, M.S., B.S.N.
Clinical Practice Coordinator

What makes Nadja's job so rewarding is patient satisfaction and patient contact. "Customer service is at the heart of every position I have ever held. My goal is to provide additional clinical support so that our patients have a safe and satisfying experience while achieving optimal weight loss," she says.

Nadja's main focus is assisting Dr. Kligman during clinic visits, providing pre and postoperative patient and family education, and responding to the many concerns that the patients and their families have once they return home. In addition, she is involved in inpatient and outpatient education concerning bariatric surgery and assists with coordinating a patient support group.

Throughout Nadja's twenty plus years as a nurse, she has developed her clinical and management skills by holding a variety of positions in the fields of oncology, medicine, infectious disease, surgery and education. Prior to Nadja joining Dr. Kligman, she was a clinical specialist with Amgen, a California based Biotech company, and patient care manager of 10 West at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Andrew Walen LCSW-C
Bariatric Surgery Support Group Facilitator

Andrew created The Body Image Therapy Center in 2008, specializing in eating disorders, emotional eating, body image, and preparation and aftercare for bariatric surgery patients. He has authored articles which have appeared in www.Dietwatch.com, www.GoodTherapy.org, and presented “A Treatment Model for Body Image Disorder” at the 93rd Annual Tennessee Conference on Social Welfare. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Binge Eating Disorder Association and is a member of the National Eating Disorder Association, The Eating Disorder Association of Maryland, and Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). To meet the growing needs of the bariatric population, Andrew has opened up offices in Baltimore County, Howard County and Anne Arundel County. He offers individual as well as pre-surgical psychological evaluations.

To learn more, visit www.thebodyimagecenter.com or email him at Andrew@thebodyimagecenter.com or call (443) 602-6515.

Noel Stevens, C.R.N.P.
Nurse Practitioner

Kelly Jackson
Administrative Assistant

This page was last updated on: August 21, 2009.

If you would like to make an appointment or talk to someone about our services, please call 1-877-866-7348 (patients) or 1-800-373-4111 or 410-328-8940 (physicians).