About Us

Robin Blackstone, MD
Surgeon and Director, Scottsdale Bariatric Center
Medical Director, Scottsdale Healthcare Bariatric Program
Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Blackstone is one of the few women surgeons in the world specializing in the Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass. With her practice focused entirely on Weight Loss Surgery, she is committed to providing patients with the very best care possible.

From a fourth generation Arizona family, Dr. Blackstone grew up in the Grand Canyon National Park. She attended the University of Arizona in Tucson after high school and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy. After being accepted as a medical student at the University of Texas in San Antonio, she graduated and received her Doctor of Medicine in 1988. Dr. Blackstone then completed her General Surgery residency at the University of Colorado graduating in 1993 as a General Surgeon specializing in the leading-edge field of Advanced Laparoscopic surgery.

In 1996, Dr. Blackstone returned to Arizona and established her private practice in Scottsdale - specializing in Advanced Laparoscopic General Surgery and Surgical Oncology. Dr. Blackstone first became interested in Gastric Bypass surgery for the morbidly obese after a close family member had the surgery in 1999. Fascinated by a very successful and obviously life-changing outcomes she established a medical model for obesity treatment that spans the continuum of disease and includes medical and surgical weight loss. Scottsdale Bariatric Center was one of the first Centers in the United States to be recognized as a Center of Excellence by Caesar's Entertainment Group through a competitive process based on structure, process and outcomes.

In 2004, Dr. Blackstone was named to the American College of Surgeons National Faculty in Bariatric Surgery and serves on the Surgical Review Corporation Review Committee for National Centers of Excellence and as a founding Board Member of the Obesity Action Coalition. Dr. Blackstone has been an outspoken advocate of outcome based medical practice. The Scottsdale Bariatric Center was recently named as an American Society of Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence.

Katherine Emershad, MD
Internal Medicine

Katherine Emershad is a physician who specializes in medical weight loss. She received her board certification from the American Board of Bariatric Medicine and is currently a Diplomat with the American Society of Bariatric Physicians.

Dr. Emershad attended school at the University of Southern California and did her residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angles.

She has extensive experience working with all types of weight loss patients both surgical and non-surgical. She works with many patients in the pre-operative and post-operative periods.

Her interests in weight loss stem from her personal struggle with weight loss as well as her concern that this important health issue is not being adequately addressed by the medical community.

When asked about her philosophy, Dr. Emershad states: "I try to move people beyond the latest fad or gimmick that seems to plague the weight loss industry. I like to work with each individual to develop a lifetime program and get them away from the vicious circle of yo-yo dieting."

Buddy Messer, Psy. D
Psychologist

Randy Hamilton, NP
Nurse Practitioner

Randy Hamilton began his nursing career as a Registered Nurse at Community Hospital in Springfield, Ohio before moving to Phoenix in 1985.

He continued his training by earning his Bachelor's of Science in Nursing in 1996 and later receiving his Master's of Science in Nursing and Nurse Practitioner certificate in 2002.

Mr. Hamilton has worked as a Registered Nurse for Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix and Mesa General Hospital. In 1991, he began his career with Scottsdale Healthcare, where he functioned as a manager in the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit. In 2002, Mr. Hamilton joined the team at Scottsdale Bariatric Center as a Nurse Practitioner, where he is responsible for pre-operative screenings, workups and post-operative visits. He assists the surgeons with hospital rounds and provides support, assistance and encouragement to all of our patients.

Kelly Polak, NP
Nurse Practitioner

Melissa Davis, NP
Nurse Practitioner, First Assist

Melissa Davis, NP, began her nursing career in the field of operating room nursing. Ms. Davis moved to Arizona in 1997 with her family, and began her work for Scottsdale Healthcare as a Registered Nurse. After continuing her education and training in the field of Bariatric surgery, she began her career with Scottsdale Bariatric Center as a Clinical Nurse Specialist.

Ms. Davis works full time in the operating room with Dr. Blackstone as the lead surgical assistant. She also assists the doctor by following up with patients in the hospital after surgery and in the Scottsdale Bariatric Center office. Her surgical expertise, clinical experience and caring demeanor with patients make her a wonderful addition to our team.

Cassie Truran
Bariatric Dietician

Cassie Truran received her Bachelor's degree in Nutrition from Arizona State University. She completed a supervised dietetic internship at Iowa State University. During her internship, she worked closely with weight loss surgery and discovered a tremendous passion for counseling weight loss surgery patients. After completing her internship, she received a Certificate of Training in Weight Management through the American Dietetic Association.

Mrs. Truran continues to use her expertise in weight management by providing individual and group nutrition counseling and support to every patient at Scottsdale Bariatric Center.

Samantha Easterly, RD
Registered Dietitian

Samantha Easterly received her Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition from Arizona State University. She completed a supervised dietetic internship program through the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. After completing her internship, she received her Certificate of Training in Adult and Childhood Weight Management through the American Dietetic Association.

Throughout the years, Samantha has counseled hundreds of children and adults and has found that she strongly desires to work with those who are ready to work hard and make positive changes to improve their overall quality of life.

Mrs. Easterly currently provides individual and group nutrition counseling to patients of Scottsdale Bariatric Center and continues to work individually with children and adolescents through Scottsdale Healthcare.