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Underwood
Center for
Digestive
Disorders

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Quarterly Digest

Directors' Message

Welcome to the very first edition of the Underwood Center Newsletter. Who or what, you may ask, is the Underwood Center? The Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders was founded in 2013 thanks to a very generous gift from David and Lynda Underwood. Their goals for the center were that it should be:
  • Dedicated to the delivery of integrated care, across specialties for digestive disorders
  • Devoted to the education and training of health care practitioners, students, patients and their families
  • Committed to clinical and translational research
These continue to be our guiding principles. Accordingly, membership is open to any physician involved in the care of an individual with a digestive health issue: gastroenterologist, GI surgeon, bariatric/metabolic surgeon, thoracic surgeon, colo-rectal surgeon, oncologist, radiologist, pathologist, radiation oncologist. As we enter into our 10th anniversary year, we are proud of our growth and achievements, most recently demonstrated by our being ranked as the #8 program in gastroenterology and GI surgery in the nation and #1 in Texas and the entire Southwest. We now move to expand the reach and impact of the Underwood Center across the entire Houston Methodist Network and look forward to engaging with physicians across the Greater Houston Area in promoting digestive health and the highest standards of care for digestive disorders in the region. We hope that this newsletter will provide some insight into what we are about and what the Center has to offer.
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Eamonn M.M. Quigley, MD David M. Underwood Chair of Medicine in Digestive Disorders Co-Director, Lynda K. and David M. Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders Chief, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Houston Methodist Hospital Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Texas A&M Health Sciences Center College of Medicine
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Wade M. Rosenberg, MD Co-Director, Lynda K. and David M. Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine
Awards & Recognitions
U.S. News & World Report’s ranks Houston Methodist Hospital’s gastroenterology & GI Surgery program #8 in the nation and #1 in Texas! U.S. News evaluated 1,587 hospitals that treat challenging patients for stomach, esophageal, digestive, pancreatic, liver, colon, bowel and rectal procedures and conditions such as IBD, cirrhosis and hepatitis. Congratulations to our physicians and teams for this phenomenal recognition.
New Tricks & Techniques
COMINGS & GOINGS
New Faculty
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Ali Aamar, MD Gastroenterology (Interventional) HMB
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Tamneet Basra, MD Hepatology HMH
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Yee Lee Cheah, MD Transplant Surgery HMH
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Christopher Fan, MD Gastroenterology (IBD) HMH
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Muhammad Farooqui, MD Gastroenterology HMCL
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Katherine Gray, MD Thoracic Surgery HMH
Malcolm Irani, MD Gastroenterology (IBD) HMH
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Tareq Kamal, MD Colon and Rectal Surgery HMW
Thomas McCarty, MD Gastroenterology HMH
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Caroline Simon, MD Transplant Surgery HMH
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Adrianne Van Norman, MD Gastroenterology HMW
Intestinal ultrasound for inflammatory bowel disease Dr. Bincy P. Abraham is pioneering the use of intestinal ultrasound to monitor disease activity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. READ MORE
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New RESEARCH
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Vibrant Capsule for Chronic Idiopathic Constipation A new capsule technology developed by Vibrant Gastro, with the participation of Dr. Eamonn Quigley, offers an innovative new therapy for patients with chronic constipation. READ MORE
Identifying High-Risk Patients with Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Dr. David Victor is seeking prognostic markers to identify patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis at risk for progression to fibrosis or cirrhosis. READ MORE
Novel Applications for EndoFLIP in Foregut Surgery Dr. Min Kim is leveraging innovative EndoFLIP technology to establish an objective, data-driven foundation for foregut surgery to ensure good outcomes for patients. READ MORE
ACTIVE / ENROLLING CLINICAL TRIALS
Please click here for our full listing of clinical trials for IBD, GERD, liver and more. We invite current Underwood Center members to submit clinical studies to spotlight here in upcoming newsletters.
Featured Publications
READ MORE for summaries
Day Care Attendance and Infectious Complications in Children Born to Mothers with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Long, MD, Siegel, CA, Abraham, BP, Chiorean, M & Mahadevan, U 2022, 'Day Care Attendance and Infectious Complications in Children Born to Mothers With Inflammatory Bowel Disease', Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 706-708.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2021.02.003
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth – Pathophysiology and Its Implications for Definition and Management
Bushyhead, D. and Quigley, E.M.M. (2022). Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, Pathophysiology and its implications for Definition and Management. Gastroenterology. http://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2022.04.002
Elevated Hemoglobin A1c Level and Bariatric Surgery Complications
Nwokedi, U, Zia, M, Xu, J, Sadhu, AR, Baio, FE, Kash, BS, Sherman, V & Tariq, N 2022, 'Elevated hemoglobin A1c level and bariatric surgery complications', Surgical Endoscopy. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-022-09030-2
Survival Following Liver Transplantation for Locally Advanced, Unresectable Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma
McMillan, RR, Javle, M, Kodali, S, Saharia, A, Mobley, C, Heyne, K, Hobeika, MJ, Lunsford, KE, Victor, DW, Shetty, A, McFadden, RS, Abdelrahim, M, Kaseb, A, Divatia, M, Yu, N, Nolte Fong, J, Moore, LW, Nguyen, DT, Graviss, EA, Gaber, AO, Vauthey, JN & Ghobrial, RM 2022, 'Survival following liver transplantation for locally advanced, unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma', American Journal of Transplantation, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 823-832. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajt.16906
EDUCATION
Welcome New Fellows & Residents
The Gastroenterology Fellowship welcomes new fellows (L-R) Usman Ansari, MD, Daniel Burkholder, MD, and Ramon Minjares, MD.
The General Surgery Residency Program welcomes new residents Connie Au, MD, Madhivanan Elango, MD, Jessica Elias, MD, Gabrielle Jean-Baptiste, MD, Megan McClanahan, MD, Joseph Nealon, MD, and Matthew Nungesser, MD.
Connie Au, MD
Madhivanan Elango, MD
Jessica Elias, MD
Gabrielle Jean-Baptiste, MD
Megan McClanahan, MD
Joseph Nealon, MD
Matthew Nungesser, MD
The Rosenberg Summer Surgical Fellowship Underwood’s Co-Director Wade Rosenberg, MD, sponsors a 10-week physician shadowing program for undergraduates. Six students from UT Austin, Texas A&M, Princeton, MIT, and Howard University, shadowed surgeons in clinic, scrubbed in for surgical cases, and attended grand rounds and other professional development seminars. This unique program boasts a near-100% acceptance rate for alumni who later apply to medical school.
Former Rosenberg Fellow Amber Chen-Goodspeed, MD, gave an update on where she’s at today: Name: Amber Chen-Goodspeed, MD When were you a Rosenberg Summer Surgical Fellow? 2015 Where are you working now? General Surgery Resident at New York Presbyterian - Queens What is your most memorable experience from the program? My most memorable experience was conducting a series of interviews with Dr. Paul Jordan, a retired surgeon and Dr. Rosenberg's mentor. Learning about the ways medicine had transformed throughout his 50 year career has granted me immense perspective on the ever changing nature of the field. Do you think the fellowship prepared you for where you’re at today? Yes, through the Rosenberg Summer Surgical Fellowship I fostered a passion for medicine and found a place in the O.R.. Further, through my research project within the program I was introduced to the ways in which I could balance being both a surgeon and a researcher.  Any tips for future fellows? Go to lunch with people of all levels and learn about how they got to this point in their careers. I made some great connections and began to envision my career path as a result of these conversations.  Can you share your favorite Dr. Rosenberg moment? Scrubbing in with Dr. Rosenberg as he performed a Whipple was one of my favorite Rosenberg moments. He took the time to explain steps and label anatomy as he went making it one of the most educational and thrilling surgeries I've seen to date.
Rising Stars Summer Enrichment Program On July 29th, the Department of Surgery graduated its inaugural class of their Rising Stars Summer Enrichment Program – a DEI initiative that targets under-represented high school students interested in STEM. Through the generous support of The Robbins Foundation, ten students were given broad exposure to healthcare professions like medicine/surgery, research, pharmacy, nursing, and allied health over an intensive six-week curriculum. The Department of Surgery’s DEI Council, and 65+ leaders across Houston Methodist contributed their time and support in putting together this unique observation experience.
SYSTEM HOSPITAL UPDATES
    Houston Methodist West Hospital recently unveiled a new digestive health center On July 18, Houston Methodist West Hospital opened a new, dedicated space for digestive health services. The 18,000-square-foot suite, located on the third floor of the hospital, includes five procedure rooms, one of which is an advanced room with fixed x-ray equipment. Equipped with the latest, most advanced endoscopic technology, the new suite affords patients living in the Katy-West Houston area the same world-class care that is available in the medical center. The space is designed to optimize patient experience and lead to better outcomes by optimizing patient flow and fostering cross-collaboration among physicians and specialties.
    “When designing the space, our top priority was ensuring a continuum of high-quality care for our patients,” said Dr. Hani Zamil, medical director of gastroenterology and endoscopy at Houston Methodist West. “The suite’s design and available technology allows the gastrointestinal team to diagnose, treat and research conditions in a comprehensive way.”
UPCOMING EVENTS
7th Annual Underwood Symposium (August 19) Featuring the H. Randolph Bailey, MD Symposium to honor Dr. Bailey, an international figure in colorectal surgery, that will occupy the afternoon sessions. The morning sessions will be dedicated to “hot” topics in GI and liver disease. Register now!
Case Conferences Weekly GI Multidisciplinary Case Conference – led by Alberto Barroso, MD. Every Friday at 7:00 a.m. in-person and virtual. Contact Donna Ruddell (djruddell@houstonmethodist.org) for more information. Monthly IBD Case Conference – led by Bincy Abraham, MD. Upcoming virtual meetings: September 2, October 7, November 4. Contact Donna Ruddell (djruddell@houstonmethodist.org) to be added to the invite.
SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK
To be featured in the next newsletter, please submit news, events or a story to: underwoodcenter@houstonmethodist.org If you have questions about membership, please contact: schui@houstonmethodist.org
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