Tanner Health System is continuing to expand the specialist services available in Randolph County as gastroenterology care is now available at Tanner Medical Center/East Alabama.
Peter Ojuro, DO, a board-certified gastroenterologist with West Georgia Gastroenterology Associates and a member of the medical staff at Tanner Health System, is now offering a host of gastroenterological services in Wedowee, including colonoscopies and upper GI screenings in the procedures suite at Tanner Medical Center/East Alabama.
The availability of colonoscopies in east Alabama is especially essential, as they enable doctors to detect instances of colorectal cancer at their earliest stages when treatment is most effective — and prevent colorectal cancer by removing precancerous polyps from the colon. Colorectal cancer is the third most common form of cancer in the United States, affecting almost 150,000 men and women every year and causing more than 50,000 deaths across the nation last year alone. Cancer specialists recommend everyone receives a colonoscopy at age 50 — or earlier, depending on certain risk factors.
In addition to colonoscopies, Dr. Ojuro and West Georgia Gastroenterology Associates provide specialized diagnosis and care for a host of digestive health issues, including acid reflux, peptic ulcers, motility disorders, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, swallowing disorders, irritable bowel syndrome and others. Dr. Ojuro also specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases, gallbladder issues, diseases of the small bowel and colon and the treatment and management of hepatitis.
Dr. Ojuro earned his doctorate in osteopathic medicine at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He completed his internship and residency at St. Johns Detroit Riverview Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, and a fellowship in internal medicine at St. Johns Providence Health System’s Osteopathic Division at Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren, Michigan.
“We’re very excited to continue to expand access to specialist services in our region,” said Jerry Morris, administrator of Tanner Medical Center/East Alabama. “We built this hospital to grow with the community, both in terms of the facility itself and the services it offers. Offering gastroenterology services in our new, state-of-the-art surgical center is one way we’re ensuring the care that our neighbors need is available right here in Randolph County, close to home.”
Since Tanner Medical Center/East Alabama opened in Wedowee in late 2017, Tanner has worked to extend access to specialist services at the facility. In addition to primary care and gastroenterology services, Tanner also offers cardiac care, urology care, rehabilitation services, advanced diagnostic imaging services — featuring digital X-ray, ultrasound and computed tomography (CT), as well as 24-hour emergency care and inpatient care at the hospital and the adjacent Tanner/East Alabama medical office building.
Along with Dr. Ojuro, the patient care team at West Georgia Gastroenterology Associates includes Howard Seeman, MD; John Arledge, MD; Thelma Lucas, MD; and Prashant Sharma, MD. The practice has locations in Carrollton, Villa Rica, Bremen and Wedowee. For more information or to make an appointment, call 770-214-2800. More information about the practice is also available online at www.westgagastro.com.
More information on Tanner Medical Center/East Alabama can be found online at www.tanner.org/eastalabama.