Kellie Armstrong

Kellie has worked in all aspects of Acute Care Nursing. She started her RN career in 1998 where she held positions as Medical/Surgical, Critical Care and Peri-Operative staff and was the Bariatric Coordinator at RIH. Lifespan merged their two bariatric surgery programs in 2012 and Kellie took on the role of Bariatric Surgery Service Line Manager. In 2007, Kellie was the first RN in RI to become a Certified Bariatric Nurse (CBN). Kellie was apart of the first cohort to be designated as a FASMBS-IH in 2024. She facilitates bariatric support groups, patient and staff education, develops policy and procedures for the care of the surgical and medical bariatric patients. She has presented at local and national venues: RN/RD/Medical student presentations, Wound Care Symposium, Bariatric Coordinators of NE meetings, National Association of Bariatric Nurses, ASMBS/Obesity Week National Conferences, and Magnet Conferences. In 2010, she organized and directed the 1st Annual Bariatric Symposium at RIH and was the program planner/director for the 2012-2014 Rhode Island Obesity Symposiums. Kellie was the race director for the Obesity Walk in 2016 in the State of RI. Kellie has published two articles related to bariatric surgery in Bariatric Times. She has served on several Integrated Health (IH) committees, including holding chair and co-chair positions. She is currently the (2023-2024) IHEC Secretary and will be President Elect in June 2024 and is chair of the IH Abstract Committee for the Annual Meeting. May 2021, Kellie was awarded the Hurvitz Quality Award (TMH) for her work revamping the bariatric surgery program to match the needs of the hospital and the patients during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The funds awarded were used to support staff RNs, NP's, nursing supervisors and quality RN’s that work with the bariatric patients to take the CBN prep course and the CBN exam offered by the ASMBS. Kellie is also a WLS patient, having undergone a gastric bypass in 2005.