ABOUT US

Our Surgeons

Leadership is a choice. Not a position. ~ Steven Covey

Leaders in bariatric surgery.

If you are searching for a leading bariatric surgeon in Oregon, your search is over. Southern Oregon Bariatric Center is home to four certified bariatric surgeons who are experts in the most current bariatric surgery techniques. Our goal is to provide the most appropriate personalized care in the least invasive manner possible. That is why our surgeons are leaders in laparoscopic surgery—the minimally invasive approach to surgery. Those patients who are candidates for this minimally invasive technique benefit from smaller incisions, reduced pain and scarring, and typically recover quickly.

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OUR SURGEONS

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OUR STAFF

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OUR PARTNERS

Mark A. Eaton, MD, FACS

BARIATRIC SURGEON

Dr. Eaton received his medical degree from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque, NM. He attended the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, TX for his surgical residency and he completed a vascular surgery fellowship at University of Tennessee’s Graduate School of Medicine in Knoxville, TN. Dr. Eaton is the medical director of Southern Oregon Bariatric Center. He became a strong proponent of bariatric surgery after he witnessed many patients greatly benefiting from bariatric surgery while he was completing his surgical training.

Dr. Eaton is certified by the American Board of Surgery, with added qualifications in vascular surgery. He completed Medtronic and Guidant Endovascular AAA Training programs. He is a member of the American College of Surgeons, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, the Oregon Medical Association, and the American Medical Association.

Originally from New Mexico, Dr Eaton and his wife, Shelly, moved to the Rogue Valley in the late 1990s. Both college athletes, they enjoy the wealth of outdoor activities available in Southern Oregon. In his spare time, Dr. Eaton enjoys working out at the gym and playing his guitar. He also plays the drums in an all-physician rock band. Dr. Eaton and his wife are the proud parents of two boys.

Juan M. Castillo, MD, FACS

BARIATRIC SURGEON

Dr. Castillo received his Doctorate in Medicine from the New York University Medical Center in New York, NY. He completed his surgical residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, TX. Dr. Castillo specialized in vascular surgery during his Vascular Fellowship at the New York University Medical Center in New York, NY. He is Board Certified in General and Vascular Surgery, is a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Dr. Castillo believes strongly in the great value of bariatric surgery as a treatment for morbid obesity.

Originally from New York, Dr. Castillo enjoys the mountains and many outdoor activities such as hiking and running. However, in recent years he has discovered a love of Cross Fit. He also enjoys skiing, biking, and cooking. Dr. Castillo and his wife, Sherry Jo (a local Family Practice physician) moved to this area to enjoy the benefits of living in a small community. They have five daughters.

David K. Traul, MD, FACS

GENERAL AND VASCULAR SURGEON

A native of Wisconsin, Dr. Traul received his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and his medical degree from Medical College of Wisconsin. He completed his general surgery residency and Surgical Research Fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin and completed an additional Vascular Surgery Fellowship at Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio. Dr. Traul is board-certified in both General Surgery and Vascular Surgery.

During his fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, he was actively involved with the pre-FDA approval clinical trials for endoluminal aortic grafts. This experience was instrumental in establishing Oregon Surgical Specialists as one of the first practices to offer this procedure to the public after the FDA approved the device in September 1999. Dr. Traul is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons,as well as a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and the International Society for Vascular Surgery.

Dr. Traul is an outdoor enthusiast. The love of the outdoors is shared by his wife, Lena, and two sons who are learning to ski and bike ride right along with their parents. Dr. Traul has played the piano and keyboard for years. Occasionally, he has been known to make appearances in a local all-physician rock and roll band as their keyboardist.

Patrick J. Phelan, MD

BARIATRIC SURGEON

Dr. Patrick Phelan was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. While pursuing his undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin, he discovered his passion for medicine during an internship with the Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Nairobi, Kenya. This experience inspired him to apply to medical school, and he ultimately graduated from Emory University School of Medicine with honors. Read More... Read Less

After medical school, Dr. Phelan accepted a residency position in general surgery at the University of Washington in Seattle. During his residency, he dedicated an additional two years to research in a laboratory, focusing on lung injury following lung transplantation. Dr. Phelan then completed a fellowship in vascular surgery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he mastered traditional open surgical techniques and participated in clinical trials that explored innovative vascular technologies. He is double board-certified by the American College of Surgeons in both General Surgery and Vascular Surgery.

Dr. Phelan thoroughly enjoys living in the beautiful Rogue Valley. An avid mountain climber and skier, he takes every opportunity to escape into the outdoors with his son, Gabe.

Erika Bennett, MD

GENERAL SURGEON

Dr. Bennett is a Texan, who was raised in Temple, TX, where she would later complete her General Surgery residency at Scott & White Memorial Hospital. During residency, she was awarded the Donald R. Cooney Award, for Excellence in Care of the Trauma Patient, as well as the J. Scott Thomas Award, for Excellence in Surgical Leadership. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biology from the Texas Tech University Honors College, graduating summa cum laude.

She also completed medical school at the Texas Tech University School of Medicine in Lubbock and Amarillo. She received the award for top student in surgery during medical school.

Following residency, she completed her fellowship in Trauma Surgery and Surgical Critical Care at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC, and arrived as the first to be board certified in Surgical Critical Care at Oregon Surgical Specialists. She has settled in Medford with her husband, Dr. Brock Bennett, and their two cats, Kaladin and Sylphrena. She has many passions, including reading fantasy novels, movies, spending time with her family in Texas, and community outreach.

Our Staff

Caring. Knowledgeable. Compassionate.

Within minutes of meeting the staff at Southern Oregon Bariatric Center you will come to understand that their work is more than simply a job. Individually and together as a team they share a unique combination of the highest qualities of caring, knowledge, and compassion for our patients. They also love their work…

Reeger Cortell, MSN, FNP

FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER

Reeger Cortell graduated from Western University of Health Sciences with a master’s degree in nursing and family nurse practitioner certification. We at Southern Oregon Bariatric Center (SOBC) are not only proud of the fact that Reeger graduated 1st in her class and with top honors but that she accomplished these goals by focusing her education upon obesity-related conditions and care of the bariatric patient.

Reeger’s focus at SOBC is to provide continuity of care for SOBC patients during the entire length of their treatment phase; including pre-operative medical evaluation and education, assistance during surgery, as well as short and long-term post-operative care.

But Reeger’s work does not stop there. In 2013 she launched the Weight Loss Surgery Podcast as a by-product of her passion and caring for people suffering from the disease of obesity. Her podcast is a mix of professional musings, interviews with people who have had bariatric surgery, and interviews with professionals in the area of obesity medicine. The podcast can be heard for free in iTunes and at WeightLossSurgeryPodcast.com

Melanie Westfall, FNP-C

FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER

Melanie Westfall graduated from Grand Canyon University with a master’s degree in nursing and her family nurse practitioner certification. Melanie has been a nurse practitioner for 10 years. She has worked for the majority of that time managing patients with a variety of endocrinology conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, adrenal and pituitary disorders and osteoporosis.

Melanie joined Oregon Surgical Specialist’s Southern Oregon Bariatric Center in January 2024, with hopes of being able to apply her knowledge of endocrinology towards helping patients with the chronic disease of obesity.

Melanie is happily married and enjoys cooking, teaching people how to cook healthy delicious food, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

Julie Kokinakes, RDN, LDN

REGISTERED DIETITIAN

Julie received her Bachelor of Science from The Ohio State University and completed her Nutrition and Dietetic Internship at Medical College of Georgia/University Hospitals in Augusta, GA. She holds certifications in Medical Weight Management from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and in Intrinsic Coaching and Motivational Interviewing.

She has 25 years of experience practicing Medical Nutrition Therapy, and has served in various roles in clinical, research, administrative, community health and private-sector settings. These include: Program Coordinator in Population Health and as a Care Transformation Dietitian in Endocrinology at Asante Health System; Contract Researcher at Oregon Center for Applied Science NIH NHLBI Telephonic Coaching Research Trials; Clinical and Research Dietitian at The Cleveland Clinic Heart and Vascular Institute Section of Preventive Cardiology; Program Director at the American Heart Association of Cleveland, Ohio; and as a consultant and grant-writer in private practice serving individuals, national weight management companies, nutritional supplement manufacturers and medical research/Institutional Review Boards. Julie is delighted to contribute to a medical team focused on the compassionate delivery of care in Obesity, Behavioral and Nutritional Medicine.

Damon Ramshaw

BAXTER FITNESS SOLUTIONS

(541) 776-9813

We are delighted to be partnering with Damon Ramshaw and the medical exercise specialists at Baxter Fitness Solutions. They began providing the fitness portion of our program in 2010.

Damon is a graduate of Southern Oregon University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Promotion/Fitness Management and has been a personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach for 20 years. He received certification through the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Senior Fitness Association for personal training, as well as several other health promotion certifications.

Damon currently owns and operates Baxter Fitness for Fifty and Beyond in Medford, Oregon. Baxter Fitness is an exercise facility that uses very specific equipment in a medically safe environment to enhance strength, endurance, range of motion and function. He looks forward to spending the time to get to know you and help you enrich your fitness life style.

Phone: 541-776-9813

Email: damoram@charter.net

Psychologists and Counselors

Southern Oregon Bariatric Center works with a number of psychologists, therapists and social workers who are experienced in counseling bariatric surgery patients before and after surgery. They are compassionate and solution oriented to support their clients with long term success after weight loss surgery.

All patients are required to have a pre-surgery psychological evaluation.

If you feel that individual or group therapy may be beneficial for you, please feel free to contact us for a list of names and phone numbers.

Our Partners

If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself. ~ Henry Ford

Southern Oregon Bariatric Center is born out of a great partnership between Oregon Surgical Specialists, PC (OSS) and Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. This unique blending of two outstanding medical facilities brings the best of both worlds to our patients.

Oregon Surgical Specialists

For over 25 years Oregon Surgical Specialists, PC has set the standard in our region for general, oncologic, endocrine, bariatric, vascular, and endovascular surgical services. In addition to their team of board certified general, bariatric, and vascular surgeons, OSS offers one of the most comprehensive diagnostic vascular labs in the region. OSS is also a member of the prestigious Cardiovascular Institute. As a dedicated partner in the Southern Oregon Bariatric Center, Oregon Surgical Specialists provides a staff of trained weight management professionals who understand the unique problems and challenges of the morbidly obese patient.

Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center

For nearly 50 years Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center has played a significant role in the lives of people throughout southern Oregon and northern California. Through high-quality services and leading-edge technology, Asante Rogue Regional provides superb medical care with genuine human compassion. As the regional referral center for nine counties, Asante Rogue Regional has earned a reputation for expertise in cardiovascular care and many other medical specialties.

“This decision has given me a wonderful new life!”

I find myself more active today than I have been in years. I am not sure I can convey to those reading this the emotion I felt when I played golf for the first time in three years or the day I was able to sit in a restaurant booth.

Read Doug's Story

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