Gi Insights

Host: Peter Buch, MD, FACG, AGAF, FACP Guest: Joseph C. Anderson, MD Colon cancer rates for patients younger than 50 have increased at an alarming rate. How can we help screen our younger individuals for colon cancer? Tune in to hear Dr. Peter Buch speak with Dr. Joseph Anderson, Associate Professor of Medicine at Dartmouth, to discuss the transitions occurring in colon cancer screening.

Host: Peter Buch, MD, FACG, AGAF, FACP Guest: Douglas Drossman, MD Guest: Johannah Ruddy, MEd A strong doctor-physician partnership is a critical component of patient care. Here today is Dr. Peter Buch who will be joined by Dr. Douglas Drossman, President of the Rome Foundation, and Ms. Johanna Ruddy, Executive Director of the Rome Foundation, to discuss how to build this foundation and maintain the relationship.

Host: Peter Buch, MD, FACG, AGAF, FACP Guest: Myron Brand, MD While many know that COVID-19 can affect the respiratory system, but how can this disease also influence the gastrointestinal tract? Tune in to hear Dr. Peter Buch discuss with Dr. Myron Brand, a Clinical Professor of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, the impact of COVID-19 on the GI system and GI disorders.

Host: Peter Buch, MD, FACG, AGAF, FACP While diverticulitis is a common disease, what can be done to help better understand this infection? Here today is our GI Insights host, Dr. Peter Buch, to discuss complications and approaches to managing and treating diverticulitis.

Host: Peter Buch, MD, FACG, AGAF, FACP Guest: Devika Umashanker, MD Obesity is a worldwide phenomenon and linked to morbidity and mortality. How can we help our obese patients along their weight loss journey to ensure long-term success? Dr. Peter Buch is joined by Dr. Devika Umashanker, Obesity Medicine Director of the Department of Bariatric Surgery at Hartford HealthCare Medical Group, to assess strategies for helping your patients see positive long-term weight loss outcomes.

Host: Neilanjan Nandi, MD, FACP The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a unique set of challenges for healthcare professionals. What are some of the biggest threats to our GI patients, and how should we help them stay safe? Here today is our GI Insights host, Dr. Neil Nandi, to shed some light on his experiences while caring for patients during the pandemic.

Host: Neilanjan Nandi, MD, FACP Host: Peter Buch, MD, FACG, AGAF, FACP Facing winter during the COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for many patients. What are some ways gastroenterologists can protect the health of their patients this season? Tune in to hear our GI Insights hosts Dr. Neil Nandi and Dr. Peter Buch share some tips on how you keep your patients safe throughout the wintertime.

Host: Peter Buch, MD, FACG, AGAF, FACP Guest: Richard Sterling, MD, MSc, FACP, FACG, AGAF, FAASLD Non-invasive assessments of liver fibrosis can be subcategorized into many different tests. What do we need to know about these increasingly popular assessments? Dr. Peter Buch is joined by Dr. Richard Sterling, professor of medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University to discuss when it is appropriate to use each of these assessments for patients with liver fibrosis.

Host: Peter Buch, MD, FACG, AGAF, FACP Guest: Kyle Staller, MD, MPH Misconceptions around chronic idiopathic constipation can make it challenging to diagnose and treat. What do we need to know to help our patients manage this condition? Dr. Peter Buch is joined by Dr. Kyle Staller, assistant professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School to discuss these myths and misconceptions about constipation.

Host: Peter Buch, MD, FACG, AGAF, FACP Guest: Wendy Wright, DNP, ANP-BC, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, FNAP Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a common disorder that can be challenging to treat. What is the best therapeutic approach to treating this condition? Dr. Peter Buch is joined by Wendy Wright, an adult and family nurse practitioner from New Hampshire, to discuss how to test and treat patients with IBS from a primary care perspective.

Host: Neilanjan Nandi, MD Guest: Brennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS Virtual reality has shown the ability to decrease pain, reduce opioid dependence, and boost mental health. How is this digital therapeutic changing the treatment landscape for gastroenterology? Dr. Neil Nandi is joined by Dr. Brennan Spiegel, Director of the Cedars-Sinai CORE program, on his innovative research about the positive impact of virtual reality in gastroenterology.

Host: Peter Buch, MD, FACG, AGAF, FACP Guest: John R. Saltzman, MD Gastrointestinal bleeding, or GI bleeding, is a serious but common condition, and upper GI bleeding requires an individualized approach. How can we better detect and manage this condition? Dr. Peter Buch will be discussing the importance of managing upper GI bleeding with Dr. John Saltzman, Director of Endoscopy at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Host: Peter Buch, MD, FACG, AGAF, FACP Guest: Douglas Drossman, MD Effective communication is essential to improving the patient-provider relationship. What is the best approach a physician can take when speaking to patients with IBS? Dr. Peter Buch will discuss valuable communication strategies with Dr. Douglas Drossman, president of the Rome Foundation.

Host: Peter Buch, MD, FACG, AGAF, FACP Guest: Douglas Drossman, MD Developed to treat psychiatric disorders, emerging evidence suggests that neuromodulators play a vital role in treating functional GI disorders. Here today is Dr. Peter Buch who will be discussing the role of neuromodulators in functional GI disorders with Dr. Douglas Drossman.

Host: Peter Buch, MD, FACG, AGAF, FACP Guest: Lawrence Schiller, MD, FAP, FACG Patients with chronic diarrhea are often misdiagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea, or IBS-D. How can we better assess these patients to prevent misdiagnosis? Joining Dr. Peter Buch to discuss diagnostic tools and testing strategies is Dr. Lawrence Schiller, Program Director of the Gastroenterology Fellowship at Baylor University Medical Center.

Host: Barnett Mennen, MD Physician Quality Reporting Systems, or PQRS, are here to stay in clinical medicine. Within the field of gastroenterology, understanding the metrics of PQRS can make a substantial difference in the success of a practice. Joining host Dr. Barry Mennen to detail the ins and outs of PQRS in gastroenterology is Dr. Ziad Gellad, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Director of Quality in the Division of Gastroenterology, and Director of Clinical Improvement in the Department of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center.

Host: Barnett Mennen, MD Host Dr. Barry Mennen welcomes Dr. Ashwin Ananthakrishnan, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and medical co-director at the MGH Crohn’s and Colitis center. Dr. Ananthakrishnan is involved in several large cohort studies that are attempting to examine established and novel environmental factors, including diet, that influence the risk of development of inflammatory bowel diseases. His recent study focusing on the potential role of dietary zinc in preventing bowel inflammation becomes the focus of this discussion.

Dr. Carol Burke, Director of the Center for Colon Polyp and Cancer Prevention at the Cleveland Clinic, unveils ongoing but underrecognized gender disparities in the practice of gastroenterology, such as differences in academic vs private practice opportunities, average salaries and hours worked, rates of promotion and partnerships, and male-modeled endoscopic equipment designs. Dr. Burke then explores gender disparities in GI care for patients with colorectal cancer, including differences in efficacy of colorectal cancer screening, male vs female morbidity and mortality rates, and even the underlying biologies of cancers themselves.

Irritable bowel syndrome is becoming increasingly recognized as a complex interplay of pathologies, from changes in gut microflora to nutrient absorption abnormalities to psychosocial stressors. The ways in which these factors contribute and interact create different profiles of disease, requiring personalized therapeutic plans for IBS patiets. Joining Dr. Barry Mennen to discuss a multimodal model for approaching the root causes of IBS is Dr. Neelesh A. Tipnis, the Paul H. Parker Professor and Chair of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Director of the GI Motility and Functional Bowel Disorders Program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Live from the floor of Digestive Disease Week in Washington DC, GI Insights presents two interviews focusing on screening, surveillance, and therapeutic updates for colorectal and liver cancers, hosted by Dr. Barry Mennen. Guests on this program include: Dr. Linda Rabeneck, Vice President of Prevention and Cancer Control at Cancer Care Ontario (CCO), Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, and Senior Scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) in Toronto. Dr. Rabeneck speaks on global initiatives to increase awareness about colorectal cancer screening and surveillance. Dr. Kris Kowdley, Director of the Liver Care Network and Research Director of the Organ Care Program at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, WA. Dr. Kowdley summarizes key takeaways on recognition of liver cancer and other related diseases of the liver in American populations today.