Gastroenterology program expands at the Sussex Campus

Bayhealth Gastroenterology, Sussex Campus welcomed three new providers to the specialty clinics at Bayhealth Outpatient Center, Sussex Campus late last year. Shruti Patel, MD, and Vineet Gudsoorkar, MD, joined Gautamy Chitiki Dhadham, MD, in the practice. Nurse Practitioner Tiffany Edwards, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, also joined the practice earlier in 2019. Both Dr. Patel and Dr. Gudsoorkar specialize in treating problems of the gastrointestinal tract, including

the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon and rectum, pancreas, gallbladder, bile ducts, and liver. They are trained in various diagnostic gastrointestinal procedures, including endoscopy and colonoscopy.

MEET DR. DHADHAM (FAR RIGHT) Dr. Dhadham joined Bayhealth Gastroenterology in 2015. Since then she has helped to grow the program at Bayhealth Gastroenterology, Sussex Campus. Dr. Dhadham has immense expertise as an advanced therapeutic gastroenterologist. She specializes in endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). EUS is a minimally invasive diagnostic procedure used to assess the digestive tract and other organs such as the pancreas. The ERCP procedure is used to diagnose and treat conditions such as gallstones, acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis.

Dr. Dhadham earned her medical degree at Sri Venkata Sai Medical College, Mahabubnagar in India. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in Paterson, New Jersey. Additionally, Dr. Dhadham completed her fellowship in gastroenterology at Seton Hall University School of Health and Medical Sciences in South Orange, New Jersey. Dr. Dhadham pursued further fellowship training in advanced gastroenterology, where she specialized in endoscopic oncology diagnostics, mastering the EUS procedure, and therapeutics at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida.

MEET DR. GUDSOORKAR (CENTER RIGHT) Dr. Gudsoorkar comes to Bayhealth from Houston Methodist Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College in Houston, Texas. During his residency he served as chief resident in their Department of Internal Medicine, and then completed his gastroenterology fellowship there. He holds a bachelor of medicine and surgery from Terna Medical College, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences in India. Dr. Gudsoorkar has a clinical interest in inflammatory bowel disease, closely monitoring and providing long-term care to patients with this condition.

MEET DR. PATEL (CENTER LEFT) Before coming to Bayhealth, Dr. Patel was at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, New York. There she did an internal medicine residency and completed a fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology. She holds a medical degree from SBKS Medical Institute and Research Centre in Vadodara, India.

MEET TIFFANY EDWARDS (FAR LEFT) Edwards holds a doctor of nursing practice degree from the University of Alabama. She received her nursing diploma from Beebe School of Nursing. Before joining the team at Bayhealth, Edwards worked at Nanticoke Health Services in Seaford, Delaware.

All three physicians and the nurse practitioner see patients in the Bayhealth Gastroenterology, Sussex Campus practice located at 100 Wellness Way in Milford, Delaware 19963. ■

TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT, PLEASE CALL 302-393-5006.

Spotlighting staff who go above and beyond

The Spirit of Planetree Awards recognize those who go above and beyond to promote person-centered care and improve the patient experience. The awards, which are given annually and are based on nominations, include Caregiver, Physician Champion and Pet Therapy Animal.

The 2019 winners were recently selected, and they are:

CAREGIVER: AKIYA LEWIS BAYHEALTH HOSPITAL, SUSSEX CAMPUS

One nominator wrote: “Akiya is constantly rounding on patients, offering little comforts that mean so much to them. She extends that same care to the patient’s family and visitors. She consistently goes above and beyond for her patients and coworkers to make sure her unit, 5A, is the best possible place to be. Supporting her teammates and peers means providing person-centered care because she knows that when they are taken care of, they can take better care of their patients.” PHYSICIAN CHAMPION: LORETTA EDMONDSON, MD BAYHEALTH HOSPITAL, SUSSEX CAMPUS

One nominator shared the following comment from a patient: “Dr. Loretta Edmondson truly cares about her patients and their family members. I am sure I would not be here today if she were not my doctor. She is a true activist for her patients and makes sure they receive the best care possible, stepping in to call specialists and/or insurance companies if needed.”

PET THERAPY ANIMAL: BRUTUS

One nominator wrote: “Brutus and his owner, Sharon Conley, are a team in a true sense of the word. They mentor new pet therapy groups, cheer on veteran teams and ensure all they meet have a better day. On any given day, they will come into contact with approximately 60 patients, visitors and staff members. When the Child Care Center requested pet therapy teams visit during the Week of the Young Child, Sharon and Brutus were there spreading love and snuggles to more than 90 students.”

PHYSICIAN CHAMPION: JOHN FINK, MD BAYHEALTH HOSPITAL, KENT CAMPUS

One nominator wrote: “Throughout his career, Dr. Fink has been intimately involved with quality improvement projects at the clinics, private offices, hospitals, and nursing homes where he has worked. Even though he is now part of administration and sees patients on a part-time basis, he still will take the time to respond to a patient’s needs. Dr. Fink is easily approachable and open to new ideas that will improve patient outcomes and the patient experience. He is a true role model for person-centered care at Bayhealth for physicians, staff and his patients because of his passion, patience, approachability, respect, and expertise.” ■ For more than four decades, Planetree International has maintained a focus on creating a standard of person-centered care to humanize the patient experience to improve outcomes. Planetree is a not-for-profit organization that helps patients, families and staff members deliver care from the patient’s perspective.

Its mission is to inspire caregivers to make patients their true partners in their care, with hopes to change the culture of healthcare and revolutionize the industry. Planetree introduced their recognition level in 2012, and since then Bayhealth has been awarded Silver Certification for Excellence in Person-Centered Care.

This prestigious honor marks Bayhealth as one of only three healthcare organizations in the U.S., and one of seven internationally, to be designated with Silver Certification. Bayhealth’s drive doesn’t end there — we’re aiming for Gold Status.

There were several areas where Bayhealth transcended, including patient-directed visitation, opportunities for patient and family input through patient partners, community access to health and wellness programs, family involvement in care through the Care Partner Program, and sensitivity around the cultural norms and preferences of patients.

VISIT BAYHEALTH.ORG/PLANETREE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW BAYHEALTH SUPPORTS PERSON-CENTERED CARE.