Gastroenterology

Diagnostic and treatment services for patients with a wide range of gastrointestinal concerns.

Services

Gastrointestinal (GI) Clinic

The Gastrointestinal (GI) Clinic at St. Paul’s provides endoscopic procedures on an outpatient, inpatient and emergency basis. It is supported by gastroenterology and colorectal surgery. The clinic performs over 9,000 standard and specialized procedures each year, including ERCP’s (looking at the gallbladder, pancreas and liver), colonoscopies and endoscopies. The GI Clinic is also involved in research in all aspects of gastroenterology. 

Surgery

For more information, please visit the St. Paul’s Hospital Colorectal Surgery Centre.

BC Home Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition

British Columbia Home Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (HPEN) – provides support to patients in British Columbia and the Yukon who have specialized nutrition requirements due to gastrointestinal tract problems.

Outpatient Programs + Clinics

For a list of our outpatient programs and clinics click here.

Research

Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine where the digestive system and its disorders are studied and treated. The Division of Gastroenterology at St. Paul’s is composed of 9 gastroenterologists who are active provincially, nationally and inernationally: Dr. Lawrence Halparin, clinical professor and division head; Dr. Jack Amar, clinical assistant professor; Dr. Scott Whittaker, clinical assistant professor; Dr. Rob Enns, clinical professor, division head; Dr. Jennifer Telford, clinical professor; Dr. Eric Lam, clinical associate professor; Dr. Alnoor Ramji, clinical assistant professor; Dr. Brian Bressler, clinical associate professor; Dr. Hin Hin Ko, clinical assistant professor. 

Research in the Division of Gastroenterology includes both investigator and industry-sponsored studies. The Endoscopy Unit has expanded to include new technology. 

Some of our highlights include:

  • Dr. Jennifer Telford is the medical lead for colon cancer screening program in British Columbia. Training courses for advancing skills in endoscopy are regularly offered through the leadership of Dr. Telford and Dr. Enns.
  • Dr. Rob Enns is a leader in the field of capsule endoscopy of the small bowel and management of Barrett’s Esophagus.
  • Dr. Scott Whittaker remains Chairperson of the provincial Home and Hospital TPN Program, Chairperson of the BCMA Nutrition Committee, and a member of the editorial board of Gastroenterology Canada.
  • Dr. Brian Bressler has established himself as the Provinical Leader in IBD and is involved in clinical research trials in inflammatory bowel disease.He is one of Canada’s leading experts in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. An International training center at St. Paul’s has been developed in IBD. 
  • Dr. Greg Rosenfeld has specialized training in IBD and interests particularly in IBD imaging. Working with Dr. Bressler and IBD network is being developed for patient management throughout BC.
  • Dr. Ramji and Dr. Ko have expanded their treatment options in non-transplant hepatitis and work in multiple sites to treat appropriate patients.
  • Dr. Eric Lam and Dr. Amar both have therapeutic interests and are actively involved in training both local and International students in advanced endoscopy.

Teaching

The division is involved in continuing medical education, including undergraduate teaching and post-graduate teaching of Internal Medicine residents, with 24-30 residents rotating through the service on a yearly basis and five gastrointestinal fellows. Dr. Alnoor Ramji and Dr. Eric Lam are members of the Post-Graduate Fellowship Training Committee. Dr. Ramji is also chair of the annual St. Paul’s postgraduate course for family physicians.

Liver Disease

Drs. Alnoor Ramji , Hin Hin KO, and Eric Lam are actively involved in investigating and treating liver diseases and are involved in numerous multi-centre trials of treatment of Hepatitis B and C as well as noninvasive methods of assessing degree of liver fibrosis.

Resources

Colon Cancer Screening
If you are a BC man or woman between the ages of 50 to 74, you should get screened for colon cancer through a provincially supported colon cancer screening using FIT stool tests as their basis. Screening is free for insured BC residents with referral from a family physician. Learn more

Careers

For more information about working at Providence Health Care and for current employment opportunities, please visit our Careers site.

Contact + Location

For more information about our Gastrointestinal program and services, please call the Division of Gastroenterology office. (Note: The office will not be able to supply answers to clinical questions.)

Gastroenterology Associates
770 – 1190 Hornby Street
Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2K5
Telephone: 604-688-6332