Digestive Care (Gastroenterology)

Your body’s digestive system takes, digests and absorbs food and gets rid of waste. Ballad Health’s gastroenterologists (digestive system doctors) and dietitians (nutrition experts) can help you keep your stomach, intestines and other organs working well, so you stay healthy.

Top-Rated Care

Trust you’ll receive high-quality digestive care at Ballad Health.

CareChex®, a ratings organization and division of Quantros, Inc., ranked Franklin Woods Community Hospital and Sycamore Shoals Hospital in the top 10 percent of Tennessee hospitals in 2017 for medical excellence in gastrointestinal care. Both hospitals also earned Healthgrades’ Gastrointestinal Care Excellence Award in 2016.

Our recognitions mean you can expect skilled care that helps you stay safe and get the best possible results.

Conditions We Treat

You might have a digestive disorder if you experience stomach pain, nausea, unexpected weight gain or loss, diarrhea or constipation.

Ask your doctor about getting tested and treated for conditions such as:

• Appendicitis
• Cirrhosis (liver scarring)
• Colorectal cancer
• Diverticulitis and diverticulosis (intestinal pain)
• Gallbladder disease
• Heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Hepatitis
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Lack of certain vitamins or minerals in your body
• Obesity
• Pancreatitis

Services & Treatments

Through Ballad Health, take advantage of a wide range of digestive health tests and treatments, including:

• C. diff treatment – Delivers healthy bacteria to your body to cure the infection
• Colonoscopy – Looks at the inner lining of your whole large intestine
• Colorectal surgery – Provides less-invasive care that speeds your recovery
• ERCP – Looks at your liver, gallbladder or pancreas and can remove gallstones
• Endoscopic ultrasound – Creates sound waves that form a picture of your digestive tract
• GERD surgery – Eases heartburn and acid reflux
• Hepatology services – Care for the liver, gallbladder and pancreas
• Mesenteric angiogram – Uses X-rays and a special dye to look at the arteries that send blood to your intestines
• Nutrition counseling – Teaches you what foods to eat and avoid to stay healthy
• Pediatric gastroenterology – Cares for children’s digestive systems
• Sigmoidoscopy – Looks at the inner lining of the lower part of your large intestine
• Upper GI endoscopy – Checks the lining of the esophagus, stomach and first part of the small intestine