Something that doesn’t show up on any chart or diagnostic test but often determines how care is received long before a patient walks through the door is perception. The issue is not whether high-quality care exists in Brooklyn. It’s whether people believe it does.
Dr. Charles E. Thompson III, a board-certified general and bariatric surgeon at One Brooklyn Health, discusses the barriers of perception in healthcare and how education and long-term outcomes can help address them. He notes that perception can often be one of the most difficult challenges for patients to overcome.
“Oftentimes what patients deal with is perception,” Dr. Thompson said, reflecting on years of practice. “And it’s one of the hardest things for an institution to overcome.”
In his view, that gap between perception and reality becomes one of the biggest barriers to care, especially in communities that already face systemic obstacles. Across One Brooklyn Health facilities, he says the challenge now is not just providing care but making that care visible.
“It’s constantly reminding our communities what we offer,” he said, pointing to neighborhoods across Brooklyn. “Not just saying it, but showing it—being present, holding events, and physically engaging with the community.”
One Brooklyn Health has bariatrics services that are committed to treating patients who have difficulty losing weight with respect and sensitivity through its Bariatric Care program and surgery options. A medically supervised and highly specialized staff of bariatric surgeons, internists, psychiatrists, nutritionists, nurses, and support staff provide specific care plans unique to each individual suffering from the effects of carrying extra weight. Often, OBH holds community events to educate Central Brooklyn on their services and care.
Although perception for institutions can be a barrier to communities who need help, the perception of health around obesity is often misunderstood, avoided, or softened in clinical settings.
One reason, Dr. Thompson explained, is cultural sensitivity. In some communities, body size is more normalized or less openly discussed, while in clinical settings, providers often hesitate to address weight at all for fear of causing offense.
“There’s tension,” he said. “Even though patients can perceive physicians discussing losing weight as body shaming, this is certainly not the intent of the physician. Therefore, to avoid the patient feeling this way, nothing is said... and an opportunity to intervene early is missed.”
The result, Dr. Thompson said, is a gap in care that is not just clinical, but conversational. And closing that gap requires a different approach.
“It is our job to have that conversation with patients, making them feel comfortable talking about this specific topic, and also have them understand how devastating the effects of carrying a significant amount of extra weight can be to their health. It is well-known that this leads to diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease that continues to devastate our communities,” he said.
For Dr. Thompson, that is where systems like One Brooklyn Health have an opportunity to change the trajectory of care. Not only by offering bariatric surgery and obesity treatment, but by reframing how those conversations begin in the first place.
The goal, Dr. Thompson said, is not about aesthetics or numbers on a scale — think beyond. It’s about preventing the rapid fall of chronic illness that follows untreated obesity. And most importantly, doing so in a way that feels accessible and respectful to the communities most affected.
The goal of One Brooklyn Health bariatric surgery doctors is to safely operate and treat patients with excess weight to reduce the complications and health risks that are associated. Since 2002, they have counseled and safely operated on more than 1,000 individuals, most of whom have kept the weight off. In addition, their surgical complication rate falls below the national average because OBH has highly skilled bariatric surgery doctors and state-of-the-art facilities.
Healthcare doesn’t change only when systems improve. It changes when communities believe they have a reason to walk through the door—when perception gives way to trust. Visit
www.onebrooklynhealth.org to learn more available bariatrics treatment options and personalized care. A healthier you start here!
