GLP-1 agonist weight loss drugs have taken the healthcare industry by storm. Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of semaglutide (brand name Wegovy) in 2021, patient interest in these drugs has grown, with net sales of all anti-obesity drugs increasing to an estimated $1.1 billion in 2023, according to The Congressional Budget Office. At the same time, bariatric surgery rates fell by 25.6% between 2022 and 2023, according to a 2024 study by researchers at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. To meet patient demand for these medications and adjust to changes like reduced interest in surgical weight loss, healthcare providers have had to shift course.
For Allentown, Pa.-based Lehigh Valley Health Network, the rise of GLP-1 medications has been a disruptor—but not necessarily a negative one.
Like many organizations, the health system has seen declines in bariatric weight loss surgery in the past couple of years, but it has found success staying nimble amid market changes like those brought about by GLP-1s, according to Hope L. Johnson, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, vice president, Perioperative Services. That success includes a revamp of its approach to educating its providers and the community.
Preparing Clinicians to Meet Changing Patient Needs
A holistic, integrated approach to offering patients weight loss solutions has allowed Lehigh Valley Health Network to adapt to changing patient needs. Part of that has included widening its surgeons’ skill sets.
“Some of the pivoting we have done with our bariatric surgeons is to have them become trained in medical weight management. When a patient goes to them for a GLP-1, but then hits a plateau or they’re ready for something else, they already have built a rapport with that physician, who can help them manage their weight through robotic surgery,” Johnson says.
Having additional clinicians certified in medical weight management has allowed more patients to be seen by these specialists while taking the burden off primary care physicians, according to Johnson. Because they are often those referring patients to specialists, however, she says the health system has made a point to emphasize education of primary care physicians and other referring providers on how to best direct patients to the best care pathway, rather than just prescribing a GLP-1 medication right off the bat.
Lehigh Valley Health Network’s clinicians have also flexed their agility in other ways. When the health system experienced an increased hernia surgical volume following its popular free community screenings, it turned to its bariatric surgeons, who are also trained in hernia surgeries. They were able to address the increased hernia surgery volume while filling gaps in their bariatric surgery schedules, which had experienced declines due to the popularity of weight loss medications.
The health system has also seen an overall gastrointestinal surgical procedural volume increase—up 15% in 2023-2024. As its bariatric surgeons have become more specialized in comprehensive medical weight loss, they are seeing higher volumes of patients. Consequently, the surgeons have seen an increase in endoscopy procedures and are identifying other conditions in which a patient might need surgery, such as foregut procedures, which have increased by 30% in 2023-2024.
Getting the Word Out
Just like the organization was adaptable on the clinical side, its marketing team was nimble when it came to letting the community know about the health system’s comprehensive weight loss program, says Jennifer Adamski, director, Brand Marketing. One tactic was positioning Lehigh Valley Health Network as an expert in the region.
“We want to be seen as an authority on the topic so that people trust and believe in us when they’re ready to begin their weight loss journey,” Adamski says.
Messaging emphasizes the health system’s expertise in bariatric surgery and robotic surgery in general. Lehigh Valley’s robotic surgery program currently boasts 18 da Vinci robotic surgical systems, with 75 da Vinci surgeons performing surgeries across 13 specialties at eight locations. Marketing campaigns also emphasize the benefits of robotic surgery, such as fewer incisions, less scarring, less blood loss and a faster recovery time, according to Adamski. Campaigns also include information about the successful results seen from bariatric weight loss surgery.
“We know from science and have data to back up the sustainability of robotic bariatric surgery,” Adamski says. “We don’t yet have all the data for the GLP-1s, so we try to educate people with what we know now.”
Patients undergoing bariatric da Vinci surgery lost up to 77% of excess weight, according to a November 2023 article in the Annals of Medicine & Surgery journal, compared to those patients who used medication for weight loss, who lost up to 20% of weight, according to 2024 research by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
Adamski and the marketing team at Lehigh Valley Health Network also highlight patient stories. One particularly successful 2024 marketing campaign involved a series of patient testimonial videos, which appeared across five markets in print, billboard, digital, radio and video platforms. A group of patients spanning various ages, genders and ethnicities shared their personal stories about how the weight loss program has improved their quality of life. The campaign led to 7,109 patient encounters, 1,300 unique patient visits and 531 da Vinci surgeries for a variable contribution margin of $3.12 million.
Adamski emphasizes that organizations can lean on “zero-budget” tactics, including using their own websites, blogs, social media, video content and internal communications. For larger paid campaigns, Adamski says her organization earns additional ROI by repurposing the content on its website and social media.
Both Adamski and Johnson say alignment across Lehigh Valley Health Network’s operations, clinical and marketing teams has contributed to the organization’s success in navigating market changers like GLP-1 medications. The teams meet regularly, with marketing and their Intuitive partners included in discussions “to hear about the business goals firsthand,” Adamski says.
“We really think about bidirectionally sharing information and creating plans together that will work best to get the word out about surgical procedures and other health initiatives, which has helped us get ahead of the curve with the GLP-1s,” Johnson adds.
Lehigh Valley Health Network has taken what could have been a disaster—a temporary dip in weight loss surgery and reduced revenue—and turned it into several opportunities to better connect with its community and serve its patients.
“You never prepare for the exact day when there’s a change like this,” Johnson says. “But this opportunity has shown us we do have plenty of tools in our toolbox to handle adversity.”
For more information, please contact Executive Education, Intuitive, at executive.education@intusurg.com.
Written and published by ACHE