GA Endoscopy Center & Gastroenterology Associates of Southeast Missouri

__Year established:__ 1988

__Product or services offered:__ Medical diagnosis & treatment of diseases of the digestive system

__Number of employees:__ 30

__Location:__ 1429 N. Mount Auburn Road, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

__Phone:__ 573-334-8870

__Practitioners:__ Matthew Coleman, MD; H. Lee Schneider, DO; Dean A. Edwards, MD; Timothy J. Edwards, MD

__What is the vision for GA Associates in 2013?__

Despite current trends, the four physicians and staff at Gastroenterology Associates are committed to maintaining an independent, free-standing professional corporation dedicated to specialty care of diseases of the digestive system. Our mission is to provide patients quality, expertise, convenience and value. We offer four board-certified gastroenterologists with over 50 years combined experience in the specialty.

__What other benefits do you offer patients?__

The quality of our care is reflected not only in our years of experience, but also in the prestigious achievement of AAAHC Certification for GA Endoscopy Center (Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.) We offer the convenience of our own in-house endoscopy center, allowing patients who need direct visualization of internal organs to have the testing performed conveniently in the same location. This alone allows for additional significant cost savings to the patient.

__How has technology affected your profession in recent years?__

We maintain a state-of-the-art facility for the benefit of our patients. Dramatic improvements, particularly in the Endoscopy Center, offer incredible diagnostic visualizations of the entire digestive system. The office offers capsule endoscopy, which allows a direct visualization into the small intestine, an area that other types of endoscopy cannot get to. Dr. Schneider has been performing this test since 2003 and reads them for physicians all across Southeast Missouri.

We have also converted our entire operation to EMR, (Electronic Medical Records) a record keeping and tracking system that allows improved information management and replaces old-fashioned paper charts. As an added benefit, the new system will allow local and national benchmarking for quality improvements.

__How does GA view its role in colon cancer prevention?__

Colon screening with colonoscopy will continue to be one of the major ways GA Endoscopy will participate in preventive testing mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Rigorous quality assurance reviews will ensure that this testing meets national benchmarks.

Gastroenterology Associates consistently supports awareness campaigns to encourage people who are over 50 or who have family history to call and schedule a colonoscopy screening. Adenomatous polyps, a specific type of colon polyp, are thought to be the growths that will later cause most colon cancers. We have the tools to detect and remove that threat. Colon cancer kills, but you can beat it and prevent it through early detection.