Mercy Health - Lorain Hospital dedicates new Gastroenterology Center | Chronicle Telegram Gastroenterology, the treatment of digestive system issues, was previously practiced in the hospital, but it did not have its own space and procedures were often delayed as a result, said gastroenterologist Dr. Alok Jain.

LORAIN — Mercy Health-Lorain Hospital took an unused area and turned it into a state-of-the-art gastroenterology center, which was dedicated Monday. Gastroenterology, the treatment of digestive system issues, was previously practiced in the hospital, but it did not have its own space and procedures were often delayed as a result, said gastroenterologist Dr. Alok Jain. "We were trying to use the (operating room) space. It could not be done in a timely fashion because we were having to stand in a queue behind surgeons," he said. "Now we have a space where we can do it in a timely fashion." The gastroenterology center is the only place endoscopic ultrasound, an procedure that assesses digestive and lung diseases, is performed in Lorain County, Jain said. The procedure can detect diseases at an earlier stage than other types of scans. "I go into the stomach and we scan from the inside. So we are right next to the organs and we are scanning them by going next to them," Jain said. "Things that you don't see on an MRI, that you might see on a CAT scan, we can pick them up earlier." A FibroScan machine, a specialized ultrasound machine for the liver, is the only one of its kind in Lorain County. An advanced procedure the center offers is endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, a procedure allowing doctors to examine the pancreatic and bile ducts by placing a tube through the mouth and into the small intestine. Ed Oley, Mercy Health-Lorain market president, was on hand Monday to cut the ribbon, officially dedicating the new center. Located at the south entrance of the hospital, 3700 Kolbe Road, it houses 10 examination rooms and three procedure rooms. "As you tour this facility, you will see the extraordinary attention to detail to assure efficiency for procedures and most importantly, an amazing experience for our patients," Oley said. "This was accomplished by having tremendous physician and staff participation in the design and flow of the facility. It was truly designed by clinicians for clinicians." Jain said he was in a meeting with Oley two years ago and they discussed plans for the center, but he never thought it would be as large-scale and state-of-the-art as it turned out. "I did not think we would get to this stage," he said. "Everybody has played an amazing role in making this happen." Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @drey1357.