The practice focuses on the study and treatment of intestinal diseases and diseases of the pancreas and liver. That can involve everything from reflux disease, stomach ulcers, Crohn’s Disease, colon polyps, colitis and colon cancers to acute or chronic pancreatitis, fatty liver disease, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C and numerous other diagnoses.
Ohio GI now consists of 24 physicians across three locations — the new Liberty Endoscopy Center, plus locations in downtown Cincinnati and Norwood, plus offices in Fairfield and Montgomery. The practice spent more than $2.7 million to purchase land in Liberty Twp. for its third practice, according to Dr. Jeffrey Stotz. It then spent approximately $1.2 million to renovate the nearly 25,000-square-foot first floor of the building, transforming it into an outpatient facility.
The group chose to locate in Liberty Twp. to be closer to a significant portion of its patient population, he said.
“Once we decided to make it more convenient for those of our patients who are up here, it just became a matter of finding a facility that we could change to meet our needs,” Stotz said. “When this building came available, it really was the perfect fit.”
Liberty Endoscopy Center features four physicians on site at any given time to perform endoscopies and colonoscopies, according to Dr. Pradeep Bekal.
Ohio GI’s busiest centers perform more than 7,000 procedures a year.
At the new Liberty Twp. location, an endoscopy suite/operating room features state of the art equipment such as fully adjustable monitors and nurse anaesthetists.
Ohio GI has its own computer system with voice-activated dictation, so as doctors are performing a procedure, they can detail what they’re finding, Stotz said.
“When it’s done, you walk out with all the notes of the findings, all the pictures of what was documented and the note then goes in real time to your family doctor …” he said.
Following a procedure, a patient is moved to a recovery room.
Bekal said Ohio GI is the only the third practice in the nation to offer a new colon lavage technology, along with ones in Austin, Texas and Jackson, Miss. A practice in Norfolk, Va. offers a smaller version of the device.
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