The team at GASTRO ASSOCIATES were above and beyond my expectations!! Special thank you and…read moreshoutout to: Brandy Fleischer, FNP: extremely thorough & patient! And her crew: Tiffany - welcoming at Reception Tanisha: awesome nurse Lynn: explained everything very clearly. And the Lab tech was sooo good at her job and only had to stick me 1 time to get bloodwork. This is so rare for me, and she's also super kindhearted! You girls are simply the best!!!

The office staff is friendly and they keep the front clean. I waited quite a while for my…read moreappointment, but that seems to be the norm with medical services. After I was checked in by the nurse I was put into another room to wait because Dr. Hou's room was occupied. They must use that extra room as a break room because there were pieces of green pepper on the floor. No joke. Once the other room was ready I was moved. Dr. Hou is not someone that you want to see if you expect to be listened to. I had gone to the ER a couple of days prior to my appointment for abdominal pain and a gallbladder problem was assumed. While there I was diagnosed with increased liver enzymes and what is known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Because of this and the fact that I had no visible stones on my ultrasound, he felt that my gallbladder was not at fault despite the fact that I was having another flare up right there in his office. I am not obese, but could lose a few pounds, and that's all he saw. He finally agreed to do a HIDA scan on my gallbladder to rule it out, but he kept stressing the liver issue and dieting. Didn't examine me, ask symptoms, NOTHING. The doctor I saw in the ER examined me better than he did, and they're usually rushed. I complained about his lack of care to the nurse that scheduled my HIDA, and she blew it off saying there isn't much they can do for GB pain in office, and that Dr. Hou really knows his stuff. I had my HIDA two days later. Afterwards I had some more pain, so I followed up the next morning to see if they had the results. The nurse told me that my scan was normal, that he had prepared a letter saying such and it would go out that afternoon, but she'd have him call me. He called back an hour later, said the same thing the nurse did, and suggested that I take some IBS medications because my gallbladder was fine. Completely frustrated I decided to get a second opinion, and called the nurse back to get all of my lab and test numbers as reference. That's when she informed me that my ejection fraction (how much the gallbladder empties upon hormone stimulation during the HIDA) was only 20%. I asked her what Dr. Hou considered normal, because all of the clinical stuff I'd read said it had to be a minimum of 35% to be considered functioning. She said she didn't know and would have him call me again. He called me back in two minutes flat, much more sympathetic this time, asking about my pain levels that he'd previously brushed off, and wanted to know if I'd had a fever. He then told me that my scan revealed that my gallbladder was NOT functioning and he referred me to a surgeon. So pretty much, he only diagnosed me because I pointed out his error. I can't speak for the rest of the doctors at this practice, but don't see Dr. Hou unless you want someone impersonal that won't actually look over the tests he orders.

I won't call him a miracle worker because I know he only used his medical training to help me, but…read moreit does feel great that he managed to help me with two issues I have struggled with for decades! Dr. Nguyen (pronounced "win") is professional, caring, and very personable and I really am impressed with his knowledge, honesty and expertise!

Expertise and Empathy…read more I have been a patient of Dr. Vanessa M. Shami since 2015, when my GI doctor relayed that I needed to see a specialist. Dr. Shami is one of the friendliest and approachable doctors that I have. Complicated health situations can be quite intimidating and overwhelming, and she has the gift of communicating in layman's terms and is making you feel at ease. The entire surgical process is efficient and seamless. Dr. Shami's nurse and the whole staff at the Endoscopy Unit at the UVA's Digestive Health Center are well organized and personable. As a patient, I can attest to Dr. Shami's sincere and empathetic manner - without hesitation; I highly recommend Dr. Shami.

I visited this location a few months ago, for a consultation and information before having a…read moreprocedure done. everyone from the receptionist and assistants to the doctors were extremely helpful talking me through everything answering questions. so I was able to completely understand exactly what was necessary to move forward. I received top quality care and professionalism.

Everyone is so pleasant to deal with. It's a very welcoming atmosphere starting with the check in…read morestaff, to the nursing staff, PA Kate, the lab techs and the appointment setters. Great vibes all around the office. Excellent care.

Every nurse and dr here are a joy to have on my team. Good bedside manners, kind and gentle through…read morethe process of colonoscopy. Highly recommend

I just had a colonoscopy done a few weeks ago by Dr Farhad Sahebjam from Gastroenterology…read moreConsultants of Southwest Virginia, which my primary physician recommended I have done as a preventive measure since I'm older than 45 and have never had one done before. With all the myths going around about having a colonoscopy done, I was naturally a little nervous, just like many others probably are. But here at this Center everyone was so friendly and professional that by explaining the procedure and providing me with the knowledge of the advantages of having one done, rather than trying to avoid it, I looked forward to having one done. And Dr. Sahebjam was so kind and caring that he put me at ease the moment I first met him and provided me with the knowledge to understand the procedure and the benefits of it. If any polyps were found they could be removed, providing hope that everything would be alright. My insurance covered the payment for the whole procedure except.the copayment for seeing a specialist and the medications needed to prepare for it, which my CVS pharmacist helped me pay less for these by using a special program they had in which I write about in my CVS Pharmacy review. All the step of the way I was kept informed that it was covered and I wouldn't have to pay a cent. Naturally after reading the negative reviews I was worried but now I know better than to pay attention to them. The Center kept in touch continously with me via phone calls, emails, and text to make sure I didn't miss an appointment and in case I had any questions on the preparation procedure. I had an assigned person to keep in touch in case I had a question on the preparation for the procedure. The colonoscopy was performed at the Lewis Gale Medical Center in Salem, Virginia by Dr Sahebjam. I did have to drink a lot of water after I drank a medication mixed with water, but this made me thirsty enough that I easily drank the extra couple of glasses of water with no problem at all. And being without eating didn't seem to bother me much as I thought it would. A good friend of mine drove me to the Hospital on the morning of the procedure and waited for me there until it was finished. There I was treated very well and interviewed by several people, including hospital staff, nurses, anesthesiologist, and Dr Sahebjam. As soon as they brought me to the procedure room after I changed into hospital clothing, they put the anesthesia into my vein and an oxygen mask and immediately fell asleep that didn't feel a thing. I woke up to the call of my doctor who explained that everything had gone well and showed me the pictures. Since I didn't have any polyps and the results were normal he recommended that I didn't have to have another one done until 10 years. I was given the exit papers including copies of the pictures they took by a nurse, got dressed, and taken in a wheelchair to my friend's car, who drove me home. I week after I had a follow-up visit to the Center where a nurse explain to me how the procedure had gone and saw that I had totally recovered from it. I highly recommend this place to anyone who needs to have a colonoscopy done, as well as Dr Sahebjam and his staff.

Dr. Moylan displays a genuine concern for each of his patients as well as a keen interest and…read moreunderstanding of their individual needs. His staff shows a similar concern. His advise is not hasty but scrutinized carefully. My daughter is currently his patient and shares my feelings about her medical care received.

Dr. Chitnavis Saved my Life Dr. Has been in his practice for 51 years Dr. Found Cancer in my Colon…read morein 2007 with a 5% chance To Live I have been seeing Dr. Chitnavis since 2007, I continued to have ALL my colon test with him zip even traveled from Florida to have him as my Colon Dr Dr. Chitnavis is very special to me when i see Dr his face lights up and a great big smile appears Dr. Warms my heart