Diving Into Gastroenterology at TidalHealth

OCEAN PINES, Md. – Gastroenterology is a broad field encompassing all aspects of the digestive system; and it is the subject of this week’s Health Beat, brought to you by TidalHealth.

This week, WMDT spoke with Dr. Andrew Canakis from TidalHealth Ocean Pines about their gastroenterology department and what their work entails.

“Gastroenterology is a unique field because you’re providing acute care and longitudinal care for patients,” said Dr. Canakis. “For instance, if they’re in the hospital and they have a stomach ulcer and they’re bleeding, we treat that with a procedure. So we’re essentially covering the organs from your esophagus down below. Everything in between, if you will.”

The gastroenterology department conducts various procedures, including endoscopies, colonoscopies, ultrasounds, and more. As of July, the department has been able to do diagnostic colonoscopies, which screens for early signs of potential health problems.

“One of my goals was to provide a service that is not offered here and prevent patients [from] going over the bridge for procedures,” explained Dr. Canakis. “We’re capturing people who could be easily lost in the health care system with those long wait times. We’re diagnosing cancers early, stenting them early; they’re getting chemotherapy early. So we’re one step ahead of the disease process. And TidalHealth is providing me with the resources to do that.”

Dr. Canakis provides various services in the TidalHealth Ocean Pines clinic as well as their outpatient endoscopy center. For more advanced cases or procedures, patients are seen at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional in Salisbury.

To schedule an appointment, call (410)912-6021. Patients are strongly encouraged to secure a referral from their primary care provider.