Eric Jordan, MD, is a gastroenterologist dedicated to providing the highest level of care and offering solutions to get his patients back to their day-to-day lifestyle. He treats a number of conditions including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcers, diverticulitis, and celiac disease.
“The number one thing I do is listen. People have a story to tell and I want to hear it. Some patients might be living with difficult emotions as there can be stigma attached to certain GI conditions,” Dr. Jordan says. “I make sure to emphasize that they are not alone and that many of these conditions are common and treatable. That puts them at ease.”
Before specializing in gastroenterology, Dr. Jordan became board certified in internal medicine and worked as a hospitalist physician, taking care of patients with a broad range of conditions from liver to lung and heart issues. That background, he says, has helped shape his holistic approach to patient care.
“I see patients not just in the context of their GI symptoms, but how their entire life influences any illness they might have,” he says. “One of the best things about my job is when I have someone who presents with abdominal pain or are worried about making it to the bathroom in time, and I can help alleviate these concerns. I not only get to treat chronic conditions and improve someone’s quality of life, but I get to treat acute, sometimes life-threatening issues like GI bleeding.”
Dr. Jordan is experienced in performing procedures including endoscopies and colonoscopies, to screen for and help prevent colon cancer as well as manage conditions such as acid reflux. Additionally, he has a focus on counseling patients on healthier food choices if they aren’t sure what to eat.
“Many patients don’t necessarily want to be treated with medications, and there's a lot that we can do working with dietitians and parsing out foods that maybe they should take out or add into their diet to improve their symptoms,” he says.
Dr. Jordan also notes that it’s an exciting time to be working in the GI field. “We’ve seen an explosion of medicines, particularly with Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis,” he says. “We used to just have a handful of medications for these patients, and now we have many more options. We are also seeing more emphasis on understanding the microbiome, which is an area of promise for developing new therapeutics.”
