R. Chad Halversen Bariatric Surgeon M.D., F.A.C.S.

My first impression was that really he cared about the suffering of obese people. My impression has generally been the same. His office staff are very busy so do not expect alot of personal attention- however they are polite and pleasant. His financial guy is particularly great. He was very patient with me as I tried to get the money together to cash pay for my surgery. The thing I like most about Dr Halverson is that he knows how to talk to his patients, and make them feel special. The only thing I don't like is that the after surgery support is a little weak. (Especially when out more than a year) As a surgeon- you can't go wrong with him, but you may want to get your education/support somewhere else. As far as the question of his surgical competece and bedside manner- for me, both were great. Everyone has their moments where bedside manner is lacking but I imagine most would find his to be a cut above the average doctor.

I thought he was caring, personable, and had a great sense of humor, which helped a GREAT deal because I was very nervous.
My impression of him never really changed but we have an underlying problem which occured when my husband opted for this surgery. The staff was, and always is very friendly, and helpful, especially Roz, they are a very busy little outfit there.The only thing i dont like about this situation is that this healing process of my husbands surgery is taking so long (after the complications), we are so far behind it isnt funny. He is very good at what he does, i love him tremendously. To Chad , aftercare is very important, make follow up visits for the first year, at least.
Overall, I would rate him as a very committed doctor and surgeon, he is very caring, and tries his best to get what you need done..done...and done well.His bed side manner is wonderful, and I am sure his surgical competance is equally justified.
This is only my opinion, guess you'll have to find out for your self..glad i did!!

I was so impressed with him when I met him at my first consultation. He was so kind and has a wonderful sense of humor. His quick wit really put me at ease. He is most always present at the scheduled online chats to answer questions people have and just be personable and caring about his patients.
Dr Halversen is a wonderful surgeon. My surgery went perfectly with no complications. My incision is as beautiful as a 6 inch incision can be. His bedside manner is the best! Every morning when he came to see me at the hospital, he greeted me with "Hey cutie." or something similar. Even though I live far away and haven't been able to go to him for any follow up appts, I can chat with him every Wed. night during his online scheduled chats. I can't say anything but great things about Dr Halversen and I would recommend him to anyone.

Originally, I was supposed to go through Dr. Welker in Portland, but HE fell through.

I chose Dr. Halverson from many great things I'd heard. I haven't met him yet, but am very excited! So far his staff has been so friendly!

I finally met with Dr. Halversen and was not surprised to find him to be extremely compassionate and skillful. It's been a great comfort to be told by patients and hospital staff that he is their favorite. I am happy that he will be performing my surgery in just a couple of weeks!

My first impression of the surgeon was that he was doing this because it really helped people and he loved to see the change in people. He has a great sense of humor which is a big plus. He listens!! And even though he is busy he took the time to answer all my questions. He emphasized aftercare in every other sentence. He feels aftercare is a very important part of the process. He does have and aftercare program set up and it sounds wonderful. I'll have to update this after I attend some of the aftercare. He and the other two surgeons in the office also offer online chats every Wednesday where one of the three doctors are online to discuss any concerns. The risks of surgery were discussed and they emphasized that this surgery is definately not risk free. I would rate Dr. Halversen a 9 so far but my surgery isn't for two weeks so that could change.

My first impression of Dr. Halverson was, energetic, personable, self secure. He had a sense of humor and was very straight-forward.
I only had one initial consultation with him though, and the next time I saw him was the morning of my surgery. He was very positive and funny, and liked me. Hw called me his "favorite patient", and when I said "Oh you tell everyone that", he said "No, I've visited eight people so far this morning and haven't said that to one of them!"
When I met with him initially for surgery. He was very open with me. He made sure I understood the risks, explained to me that I was high risk simply because of my co-moribities ( Diabetes ). He also wanted me to understand the risks as far as my financial situation, since I was paying cash, especially if there were complications and I stayed longer than expected, or whatever else may arise. He was thorough with adressing the risks of the surgery, but he was emphatic that I would not die on his table, which was my biggest fear I think.
The staff at Rocky Mountain Physicians seemed to be personable and caring about patient needs and wants. Bariatric surgery is all the clinic is about, so because it is the specialty, I felt very confident in what they were doing with me. My Physicians Nurse is nice, but I have come to like her a little more since speaking with her several times on the phone before and since the surgery. The other staff were friendly, and seemed interested in getting me to my surgery as quick as possible. Most of all, I didn't feel like just a number to them.
Rocky Mountain physicians are very big on aftercare. They expect to have an ongoing relationship with you for at least a year, encourage you to attend support groups and "weigh-ins", and are establishing their own support center now - whereas before they were working with a separate one. My surgeon plans on following up with me for a year, and as I understand it, all this is included in his original fee. I also had a call from His nurse just a few days after coming home from the hospital to see how I was and if I had any questions which was very nice. I fealt like they were keeping tabs on me, and I wasn't alone in this thing.

Dr. Halverson is professional and very competent at what he does. Equally he has good bedside manners. The only thing I would change is that when I went to surgery I felt like he was really a stranger. I was lucky I liked him though, because he was pleasant and nice and funny. Most important I fealt comfortable and confident in him. Dr. Halverson specializes in the open proceedure. He prefers it and that's all he does. He said that trying to do a bypass the laproscopic way was like trying to fix a car engine through the tailpipe! LOL. Anyway, I felt comfortable with him, because I needed the open, and because this is all he does, I felt he was very qualified. But as I was saying, I just wish there had been one more visit somehow in there to help me feel just a bit more familiar with him, and feel like I was not turning my life over to a stranger! Even so, again like I said, I was fully confident in him anyway.
I would recommend him to anyone looking for the open RNY proceedure!

Had my first meeting with Dr. Halverson. He was great. He answered all my questions. I will update after surgery.

I adore Dr. Chad Halversen. He has a very warm and witty bedside manner. Great sense of humor mixed with kindness and concern. He performed an open RNY, repaired an hernia which another surgeon had been unable to find, and removed lesions from gall bladder surgery many years ago. He is an efficient and thorough surgeon.
The staff at Rocky Mountain Associated Physicians is very pleasant and professional.
Dr. Chad participates in the chat room connected to their web site on Wednesday night as his patients' needd allow. His follow up visits are four times during the first year. The first visit being the second week after surgery.
I would recommend him to anyone looking to have bariatric surgery.

Dr. Halverson is very nice and answered all of my list of questions. I really liked him. He takes as much time with me as I need. He always asks "what questions do you have for me." He made rounds every day while I was at the hospital. I highly recommend him.

Pre-Op his office staff was horrible. Every time I called I felt like I was bothering them. They are apparently very busy, and easily annoyed.

Post-Op the main receptionist and nurse were both very concerned and nice when I was not feeling well. The nurse called me just to check up on me a couple of times. I have had 3 post-op visits and I think he is great.

Dr. Halverson also uses sub-cutaneous sutures on the incision, thereby eliminating the Frankenstein-type scar associated with staples.

Rocky Mountain Associated Physicians will not schedule a consultation until you're approved by your insurance company. Still waiting for office to send in request for approval. Submitted paperwork 2 weeks ago tomorrow.
7/9/03 RMAP sent in paperwork two days ago. Now waiting for insurance company.