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Bartlesville
Posted: Aug 17, 2026 9:28 AMUpdated: Aug 17, 2026 9:28 AM
The Healthy Lifestyles Program at Ascension St. John Jane Phillips
Tom Davis
Navigating a new health diagnosis or trying to lose weight can feel overwhelming, but local experts say you do not have to do it alone. Appearing on COMMUNITY CONNECTION, Shannon Bailey and Sydney Toburen, Registered Dietitians and Diabetes Educators from the Healthy Lifestyles program at Ascension St. John Jane Phillips, talked about their compassionate, personalized approach to nutrition education.
The Healthy Lifestyles program is located in the Medical Park Center building right across the parking lot from the main medical center. It serves as a central hub for diabetes care, nutrition education, and weight management. The program also offers virtual visits for rural residents or those with transportation challenges to ensure everyone has access to care.
Shannon Bailey said, "A common myth is that working with a dietitian means strict diets of plain chicken and broccoli, accompanied by judgment." Both Bailey and Toburen said that the reality is entirely different.
"Most people can Google what to eat," said Sydney Toburen, explaining that their true value lies in helping patients fit healthy changes into real, everyday life. They offer recipe inspiration, meal prep strategies, and stress-management techniques without judgment. The goal is to provide a supportive space to help patients navigate emotional and physical barriers to wellness.
The Healthy Lifestyles team provides specialized support for a wide variety of medical needs, including:
Diabetes Management: Training patients on Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs), assisting doctors with insulin titration, and exploring new diabetes technologies.
Heart Health & Weight Loss: Designing sustainable plans to lower cholesterol, manage blood pressure, and achieve steady weight loss while preserving muscle mass.
Specialized Diagnoses: Assisting pregnant women navigating gestational diabetes, and helping patients manage complex food allergies, such as the increasingly common Alpha-gal syndrome.
The impact of the program is visible in the dramatic health transformations of local Bartlesville patients. The dietitians shared several success stories, including patients who entered the clinic with dangerously high A1C levels of 18% and successfully lowered them to under 6%.
Other local success stories include patients losing over 100 pounds which allowed them to entirely discontinue their diabetes and blood pressure medications and critical wound-care interventions that successfully saved limbs from amputation through targeted nutritional therapy.
Patients interested in the Healthy Lifestyles program do require a referral from a primary care physician. However, the process is designed to be simple. If a resident calls the clinic directly to schedule an appointment, the Healthy Lifestyles staff will automatically reach out to the patient's doctor to secure the necessary paperwork on their behalf.
To learn more or to start a health plan, contact your primary care physician or call the Ascension St. John Jane Phillips Healthy Lifestyles team directly at (918) 331-1143.
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