Our Team

Loretta Benedick, Practice Manager

Loretta Benedick is the Practice Manager at St. Louis Bariatrics. She began working in Bariatric Surgery in 2012 as a Patient Advocate. While working as an advocate, she enjoyed guiding patients through the surgical process and seeing their amazing results. Prior to entering the bariatric field, Loretta was the office manager for a well-known local business where she was responsible for all facets of business operations and personnel management. Loretta is dedicated to ensuring that each patient has a positive experience at St. Louis Bariatrics. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology/Sociology from Maryville University-St. Louis. Loretta grew up in the St. Louis area where she now resides with her family. She is an avid St. Louis sports fan and can be found cheering on her team at the game with her family.

Clinical Staff

Krystal Gilb, RN, BSN, FNP-C

Krystal is the latest exciting addition to our St. Louis Bariatrics team. She comes highly qualified with a Bachelor of Science and Master’s in Nursing. After completing both degrees with honors, she became a Nurse Practitioner in family medicine. She has professional experience in Urology and served many years as an emergency room nurse. Krystal is enthusiastic about educating people on methods to improve overall health and wellness. She resides in Imperial, MO, with her husband, three children, and two Boston Terriers. When she’s not empowering people to make healthy life choices, she enjoys spending time with her family on the boat on Lake of the Ozarks from sunup to sundown.

Shannon Bay, MSN, FNP-BC

St. Louis Bariatrics is thrilled to add Nurse Practitioner Shannon to the team. Shannon grew up in Jefferson County, MO, and continues to serve her local community today. She began her education at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, MO, where she earned an Associate of Arts degree as well as her Licensed Practical Nurse certificate. She furthered her education and qualifications by earning her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from Maryville University in St. Louis. Shannon then pursued her Master’s in Nursing through Southeast Missouri State University. She is currently board certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Professionally, Shannon worked in long-term care, on a surgical step-down unit, and with pediatric orthopedics. In her most recent role as a Family Nurse Practitioner, she has served her community as a primary care provider as well as a wound care specialist. In her spare time, Shannon enjoys spending time with her dogs and family, traveling, hiking, and being outdoors.

Olivia Dupuy, MA, RD, LD

Olivia is our dietitian at St. Louis Bariatrics. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Southeast Missouri State University. She then went on to complete her Master of Arts in Health Communication, as well as, her dietetic internship at Fontbonne University. Olivia enjoys working alongside patients on their weight loss journey and is dedicated to helping them achieve their goals. Outside of work, Olivia enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, Kevin, and dog, Harley, as well her family which includes her two sisters, mom, and dad. She also loves cooking and trying new recipes.

Staff

Katie Marler, Lead Patient Advocate

Katie is the lead patient advocate here at St. Louis Bariatrics. In this role, she coordinates all aspects of scheduling surgery, including speaking with insurance companies and helping patients during the pre-operative process. Katie has been with the company since 2016 and has over 10 years of experience managing accounts. She says the best part of her job is working with the patients and getting to know them in the process. She enjoys helping people meet their goals and watching them become the best versions of themselves. Katie enjoys spending time with her family. She lives in Bonne Terre with her husband Casey, son Keaton and daughter Evelyn. She also has 2 dogs a Boston terrier, Lucy and Labor-doodle, Max.

Charity Bearden, Patient Advocate

Charity is a patient advocate at St. Louis Bariatrics. As a patient advocate, Charity verifies insurance benefits, assists patients through the approval status, and helps them reach their goals for surgery. Before starting with St. Louis Bariatrics in July of 2020, Charity worked as Chief Scribe in the ER where she gained valuable experience in medical documentation. Charity currently lives in Festus, MO with her four children. With four kids she’s very busy with school activities, but in her down time she enjoys DIY projects, baking and cake decorating. Charity says that her favorite part of the job is that there is always something new to learn and helping patient’s meet their weight loss goals is most rewarding of all.