St. Luke’s Health–The Woodlands Hospital has introduced advanced gastrointestinal endoscopy services, expanding access to minimally invasive care for patients in The Woodlands and surrounding areas. This development is a result of collaboration with the Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) Center for Advanced Endoscopy, bringing specialized expertise closer to residents north of Houston.
The BCM Center for Advanced Endoscopy, under the leadership of Dr. Wasif Abidi, focuses on diagnosing and treating complex digestive conditions. “Our team is committed to advancing the field of endoscopy through innovation, precision and collaboration,” Dr. Abidi said. The center uses a multidisciplinary approach, working closely with other physicians to evaluate patients, perform advanced procedures, and develop personalized treatment plans.
Dr. Hashem El-Serag, chair of the Department of Medicine and vice president for the Learning Health System at BCM, highlighted the goal behind this expansion: “Our goal is to provide patients in The Woodlands with the highest quality care without the need to travel far from home. By expanding our services, we can deliver timely evaluation and management of challenging gastrointestinal conditions supported by the full resources of Baylor College of Medicine.”
Dr. Mohamed Othman, section chief of gastroenterology and hepatology at BCM, discussed how this partnership will benefit local patients: “This expansion allows our team to extend Baylor’s advanced endoscopic expertise beyond the Texas Medical Center. Patients in The Woodlands and surrounding communities will now have direct access to highly specialized procedures and multidisciplinary care that were previously only available in central Houston.”
Jim Parisi, president of St. Luke’s Health–The Woodlands Hospital, expressed enthusiasm about what this means for area residents: “We are incredibly proud and excited to bring these advanced gastrointestinal endoscopy services, backed by the renowned expertise of the BCM Center for Advanced Endoscopy, directly to our community here in The Woodlands. This expansion significantly enhances our ability to provide cutting-edge minimally invasive care for complex digestive conditions, ensuring our patients receive world-class treatment closer to home and eliminating the need for arduous travel. It’s a true testament to our commitment to delivering the highest quality health care with exceptional convenience.”
The expanded program includes treatments such as addressing bile duct blockages, managing pancreas problems, removing early cancers without major surgery, helping with swallowing issues related to esophagus or stomach function, using endoscopic ultrasound for precise diagnoses of pancreatic and biliary diseases, fixing heartburn without open surgery, and providing specialized care for conditions like Barrett’s esophagus or pancreatic cysts.
Patients will now have faster access to state-of-the-art technology combined with Baylor Medicine physicians’ expertise for conditions including abdominal pain, pancreatitis, gastrointestinal bleeding or suspected malignancies.
More information about these services is available at commonspirit.org/woodlands.
St. Luke’s Health–The Woodlands Hospital serves North Harris and Montgomery counties with a variety of specialties such as heart care and neurology. Its affiliations include Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital; it is part of CommonSpirit Health.
Baylor Medicine represents Baylor College of Medicine’s clinical practice in Houston.
