Tag: DHS

Prior Authorization Changes for United Healthcare

UPDATE 6/1/2023:  As of Thursday, June 1st UnitedHealthcare confirmed that starting this month, it will no longer require “prior authorizations” for patients with commercial plans seeking non-screening colonoscopies and other gastroenterology endoscopy services. Instead, they are requiring “advance notification” for such services. While yes, as of now we are not required to submit a prior […]

Nutrition and Lifestyle Help for IBD

As the old adage goes, “An apple a day…” Does an apple a day keep IBD under bay? Let’s delve into what we know about inflammatory bowel disease when it comes to nutrition and lifestyle. IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) and Nutrition: The main thing to remember is that there is no single common diet suitable […]

National Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Awareness Day: April 19th

April 19th is National “Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Day.” IBS is a gastrointestinal disorder that has gotten much attention over the last few months as this topic has taken TikTok by storm. Videos with the hashtag IBS garnered over 1.6 billion views. The awareness this has gained can certainly be beneficial as IBS can not […]

Colorectal Cancer: Top 3 Things to Know

Colorectal cancer is now the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States among men and women combined, accounting for over 52,000 lives lost per year. It is expected that more than 153,000 more people will be diagnosed with colon cancer in 2023. And although there is an 89% survival rate when this cancer […]

Meet Laura Heath: Our Newest Histotechnologist

Laura Heath is the newest histotechnologist to join the Digestive Health Specialists Pathology Laboratory. She transitioned from the Winston-Salem Endoscopy Center to the Pathology Laboratory at the end of November 2022. As the newest member of the team, we wanted to ask her a few questions. What attracted you to pathology? I used to love […]

When you need an Endoscopic Ultrasonography (EUS)

You have a referral to have endoscopic ultrasonography or EUS. The first thought going through your head may be, what? And the second, why? In this article, we answer these and additional questions about EUS. What is a EUS? Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) allows your doctor to examine your esophageal and stomach linings, as well as, […]

New Year, New Place in Winston-Salem

We are excited to announce that we will be officially opening our new office! We will start seeing patients at 195 Kimel Park Dr. on: Monday, July 10th, 2023.  Our Winston-Salem location will be closed on Friday, July 7th. However, our other four locations (Kernersville, King, Tanglewood, and Thomasville) will remain open, and continue to […]

Colorectal Cancer: The Silent Killer

In the last few weeks, colon cancer was frequently featured in the news because of the passing of a few public figures due to colon cancer. They were actress Kirstie Alley age 71, Virginia Rep. Donald McEachin age 61, Broadway actor Quentin Oliver Lee age 34, and Ronnie Turner, Tina Turner’s son, age 62, and […]