Anton Bilchik, M.D., PhD, and Rudy Bedford, M.D. are co-directors of the Digestive Health Institute at Providence Saint John’s and lead a stellar team of gastroenterologists, gastrointestinal surgeons and research scientists. Together, this esteemed group of professionals are on course to accomplish meaningful and measurable initiatives for screening, clinical care and research, as well as community education.

Dr. Bilchik, professor of surgery and director of the gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary research programs, is one of the country’s leading specialists in gastrointestinal cancers and surgical oncology. He has assisted in establishing national guidelines and quality measures for cancer patients to improve staging accuracy and pioneered techniques and minimally invasive approaches for liver and pancreas cancers.

Dr. Bedford is a leading gastroenterologist in Los Angeles and an authority on pancreatic and biliary diseases. He is a prominent interventional endoscopist, highly skilled in advanced diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS).

Emily Enos is a health education and program management expert with a track record of creating health care programs that improve patient care and streamline operations. She is passionate about community health education, specifically focused on a holistic, whole-person approach to disease prevention and health optimization. With a focus on taking an integrative and evidence-based approach, Emily is the administrative leader responsible for exceptional care delivery experiences for improving digestive health.

Researchers at the Digestive Health Institute have identified several areas for the greatest impact on the community: screenings, early onset colorectal cancer, obesity and pancreaticobiliary disease, advanced endoscopy and robotic surgery, among others.

Devoted to making breakthroughs at the Digestive Health Institute at Providence Saint John’s, research scientists work with physicians to conduct clinical trials taking those breakthroughs directly to patients. Participants in clinical trials assist investigators in determining if new drugs, therapies or treatments are safe and effective.

As an example, results from our studies and clinical trials will help us reach the national benchmark of 80 percent colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rate in our community, learn who is at higher risk for CRC and why, assist those with difficulty maintaining a healthy weight to lower their risk of GI cancers and innovate less-invasive, leading-edge treatments for our patients and ultimately patients everywhere.

Current statistics show increased occurrence of early onset colorectal cancer in people under age 45, especially in Black and Hispanic populations. The rise in obesity has been linked to digestive diseases including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), colon polyps and cancer, esophageal cancer, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and pancreatic cancer.

The Early Onset Colorectal Cancer (EOCRC) Research Project will use molecular multi-omics (transcriptome, genome, methylome, proteome) interrogation approaches to address the concerning trend of the 4- to 5-fold increase in the number of early onset colorectal cancer cases found in young people (under 50 years of age). Digestive Health Institute researchers have identified potential clues as to why there is an earlier onset of CRC and continues to uncover new information for future studies using archived specimen tissues from Saint John’s Cancer Institute and other cancer centers within the Providence Health System.

Providence Saint John’s Health Center and Stand Up To Cancer ® (SU2C) partnered together to create a new Dream Team, dedicated to addressing colorectal cancer disparities in medically underserved communities. The Dream Team aims to address colorectal cancer inequities through screening, research, education and training in three SU2C Zones: Greater Los Angeles, Greater Boston and the Great Plains Tribal Communities in South Dakota. These zones include diverse and distinct communities that are medically underserved and have particularly low screening rates for colorectal cancer, the second most common cause of cancer-related death in American men and women combined.

Under the leadership of Anton Bilchik, M.D., and with the support of Providence, the partnership with SU2C’s Colorectal Cancer Health Equity Dream Team, steers community initiatives in predominantly black communities throughout the Los Angeles area for early colon cancer screening, provides follow-up health care services for those who need it and mentors the next generation of equity researchers involved in the initiative.

The Colorectal Cancer (CRC)-CHAT (Community Health Action Teams) Project is a community-based campaign to increase colorectal screening rates in demographically diverse areas within Los Angeles.

Through community health action teams (CHATs) — residents trained and supported to work as health promoters and care navigators within their own neighborhoods will implement a locally designed and operated colorectal cancer screening campaign.

These teams will reach those who lack insurance, have poor access to health care, low socioeconomic status or are from racial/ethnic minority groups with low screening rates to increase the number of people screened.

The Digestive Health Institute provides state-of-the-art treatments using an integrative and holistic approach to patient care. The institute’s dedicated physicians and researchers apply groundbreaking knowledge and use innovative technology to study and treat widespread gastrointestinal (GI) disorders such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), colon, liver and pancreas cancers and beyond.

These treatments include:

• Anorectal manometry testing
• Colonoscopy
• Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
• Endoscopic ultrasound
• Esophageal and anorectal manometry testing
• H Pylori breath testing
• Percutaneous gastrostomy placement (feeding tube)
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth breath testing
• Upper endoscopy
• Wireless capsule endoscopy
• Wireless motility testing (smart pill)
• Wireless pH testing
• Robotic and advanced minimally invasive procedures
• Complex gastrointestinal cancer surgeries
• HIPEC (heated intraoperative peritoneal chemotherapy) for advanced intestinal cancers

Attending a support group helps provide insight and real-world experiences from others like you. Bringing loved ones to support group builds understanding of your journey.

Sign up for support at Providence Saint John’s by calling 844-834-4378 or talk to your patient navigator to find an option that works for you.