MDNews - Central New York

seeking to provide patients with the lat- est in advanced diagnosis for increased disease prevention — it's the baseline of our approach to care." In 2019, Oneida Health also invested over $1.53 million into its endoscopy center located on the third floor of the hospita l. Renovations included new, state-of-the-art scopes and HD-video processors that lend to more enhanced imaging, as well as an expansion of its admitting, recovery, and waiting rooms, and a reimagined patient flow. INCREASED ACCESS TO ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS: EUS AND ERCP Patients often sacrifice treatment modali- ties when accessing care in a rural setting. Oneida Health prevents that by providing a number of support services and special- ties which are not commonly found in a rural community. "EUS is one of the best technologies to detect anomalies of the digestive tract and nearby structures and organs," Dr. Abbasi says. "We can visualize pathology in the pancreas, biliary tree and lymph nodes in the abdomen and mediastinum." ERCP is of ten a ser vice that needs to be referred out in GI off ices. With the a rriva l of Dr. Friend in 2020, Oneida Hea lth now specia lizes in it. " ERCP is a nonsurg ica l outpatient e x a m t h at on ly re qu i re s se d at ion ," Dr. Friend says. "It ca n be used to pro- vide therapeutic treatment of diseases of t he liver, pa ncrea s, chola ng ioca r- cinoma , a nd ex tract stones from t he bi le duct a long w ith radio-frequency ablation. Most impor ta ntly, ERCP ca n reduce the risk of other more serious c ompl ic at ion s dow n t he l i ne wh i le a iding in ea rly detection." Bot h EUS a nd ERCP a l low for t he d i a g no s i s a nd t r e a t ment of a w ide variety of illnesses and anoma lies, par- ticularly in the diagnosis and treatment of early-stage cancers that are undetect- able with other diag nostic tools. Pat ient s who need a dd it iona l test- i n g a nd t reat ment , i nclud i n g su rger y, a l s o b e n e f it f r om O n e i d a H e a lt h's net work , such a s it s a f f i l iat ed med i- ca l a nd ra d i at ion oncolog y prog ra m w it h R o s we l l Pa rk C ompr ehen sive Ca ncer Center. I n a d d i t i o n t o t h e s e s e r v i c e s , Drs. Abbasi and Friend continue to envi- sion more advanced treatment options at Oneida Health. " With these adva nced endoscopic modalities, we can provide precise staging of early digestive cancers. We can safely biopsy abdominal and mediastinal lymph nodes, and pancreatic mass, and can endo- scopically remove large colon polyps with minimal risks," Dr. Abbasi says. "We also recently started providing video capsule endoscopy and will soon be providing abla- tion treatment of Barrett's esophagus to prevent esophageal cancer. Our vision for a comprehensive digestive disease center in Oneida is quickly becoming a reality." "I have been providing outpatient care in GI for over 20 years in Oneida," says Deborah Clarey, NP, at Oneida Health. "The transition to Oneida Health and additions of Drs. Abbasi and Friend, has evolved our approach to patient care. I couldn't be more excited for the patients and families we serve." n For more information, call 315-361-2385 or visit oneidahealth.org. Meet the Providers UZM A A BBA SI, MD attended Allama Iqbal Medical College and then obtained her medical degree and doctorate in Internal Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, where she completed her residency as well as her fel‑ lowship in gastroenterology. She is board‑cer tified by the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Board of Internal Medicine. She chose Oneida Health, seeking to practice in a close‑knit, rural community. R A HSA A N FRIEND, DO, MBS, earned his doctoral degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Pennsylvania. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia and earned a fellowship in gastroen‑ terology at St. John's Medical Center in Michigan. He is board‑certified by the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Board of Internal Medicine. Friend was won over by Oneida's rural nature, a place where he and his wife wanted to raise their children. DEBOR A H CL A RE Y, NP, a native of Oneida, received her bachelors of nursing from SUNY Institute of Technology before receiving her nurse practitioner's degree from Community General Hospital in Syracuse. Deb has been working in gastroenterology at Oneida for over 20 years. Previously she worked in various capacities in private practice and the hospital setting, including pediatrics and more than 10 years in the operating room. M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S C E N T R A l N E W Y O R K ■ 2 0 21 1 5

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