Gastroenterology services continue rebound from hurricane’s aftermath

Published June 26, 2007
By Steve Pivnick
81st Medical Group Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Keesler Medical Center's gastroenterology clinic is steadily rebounding from the aftereffects of Hurricane Katrina.

Maj. (Dr.) Hyon Kang, chief of the 81st Medical Operations Squadron's gastroenterology clinic, arrived at the medical center in late July 2006 and reopened the "GI" clinic in late August with a very limited staff -- himself and technician Tech. Sgt. Brian Shaw. Before the storm, the staff included two physicians and many associated support personnel.

"We initially saw patients in our clinic which was set up in the internal medicine clinic," the major explained. "If a procedure was required, we did it in one of the main operating rooms. We were allotted one day a week in the operating room, allowing us to do a maximum of five procedures a week," the major explained.

In November, Major Kang opened a procedure clinic in the medical center's first-floor general surgery clinic and he was able to increase the number of procedures to five per day, normally in the morning.

In March, the GI procedure clinic moved to an unused portion of the second-floor intensive care unit because of water damage to the surgery clinic. This was the result of a minor fire which, as it was supposed to do, activated the sprinkler system.

The major currently performs about six procedures most mornings. He hopes to increase the number once new personnel are fully trained.

Now Major Kang is looking forward to moving to a new, permanent endoscopy suite in the former labor and delivery unit on the facility's third floor. The area, currently scheduled to open in August, will provide "one-stop" service for patients with the clinic and procedure areas located together.

"This is more efficient from the medical center's perspective," Major Kang, observed. "We'll combine our resources and have a central location for endoscopic procedures. Staff surgeons can also use the procedure rooms for their routine procedures."

Among the procedures he and his staff perform are colonoscopies, upper endoscopies, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (exploration of the bile and pancreatic ducts) and liver biopsies. As he noted, he does "a little bit of everything, top to bottom."

Major Kang is excited about a new, state-of-the-art system he recently added to his "arsenal." The wireless capsule endoscopy consists of a capsule, about the size of a large multi-vitamin, containing a miniature camera.

"It's used to evaluate the small bowel which is too long to use a routine 'upper scope,'" the major explained. "The camera takes two images a second for eight hours which is then down loaded onto a computer and reviewed."

Because he's Keesler's only gastroenterologist, Major Kang is unable to see all eligible patients. When there were two doctors, some patients had to be referred off base for routine procedures. He makes every effort to see as many patients as possible.

However, if he's unable to accommodate a patient within 30 days, the patient is referred "downtown."

Major Kang's staff includes Capt. Richard Anshutz, nurse, and Sergeant Shaw, Senior Airman Carline Chery and Yvette Dawson, technicians. Maj. Vicki Skupski and Eileen Highsmith also often augment the team when there's a shortage of nurses.