A look inside the Providence Endoscopy Center

The Word on GERD, by Dr. Michael Piper

Looking inside is the specialty of the Providence Endoscopy Center, which opened February 2005. This state-of-the-art facility provides a full range of inpatient and outpatient endoscopic gastrointestinal procedures.

The ability to examine organs through endoscopy has been an important advancement for detecting and treating gastrointestinal diseases, including ulcers and cancer. "We do internal exams of any organs involved in digestion," explains Marilyn Hodgson, Nurse Manager at the center. "Stomach, colon, bowel, small bowel, common bile ducts ... function studies for patients who have trouble swallowing ... and colonoscopy screenings for people 50 or over or any individuals with a family history of colon cancer."

The Center also provides endoscopic ultrasound procedures, which are often needed for diagnosing GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), and can provide biopsies with much greater depth than regular tissue biopsies.

Located just inside the front lobby of Providence Hospital in Southfield, the Providence Endoscopy Center has 25 doctors on staff, six pre-procedure beds, nine recovery beds and five endoscopic examination rooms, including one that can accommodate fluoroscopy exams.

For additional information, contact the Providence Endoscopy Center at 248-849-3474.