george washington university hospital visit

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Visiting gw hospital, information and amenities.

The visitation policy for GW Hospital has been revised in accordance with guidance from CDC and DC Health. The following visitation guidelines are effective March 21, 2023, until further notice:

• General visiting hours are 8 am – 10 pm
• COVID-Negative Patient: Three designated adult support people may accompany a birthing person once admitted in labor. They do not need to wait for a negative COVID test. They may come and go.
• L&D Triage: One support person is permitted.
• L&D Operating Room: One adult support person is permitted.
• COVID-Positive Patient: One designated adult support person may accompany a birthing person in labor. If they choose to leave the hospital, they will not be permitted to re-enter.
• COVID-Negative Patient: Two adult support people are permitted. Only one may stay overnight.
• A sibling over the age of 12 may visit postpartum between the hours of 10 am and 5 pm. The sibling must be accompanied by an adult support person. The sibling should stay in the postpartum room.
• COVID-Negative Patient: Only those wearing a baby band (two visitors) will have access to the NICU. Both band holders may be at the beside together at one time.
• Pre-Op: One visitor is permitted prior to surgery.
• Post-Op: Only one visitor can see a post-op patient at bedside at a time.
• COVID-Negative Patients: Two visitors are permitted during visiting hours at a time. We recommend that only children 12 years of age or older visit loved ones in inpatient units.
• COVID-Positive Patients: No visitors are permitted unless permission has been granted.

Thank you for your assistance with making GW Hospital a safe place for employees, patients and visitors.

Condition Reports

Any personal information about a patient’s diagnosis and treatment must come from the patient’s physician. This information is available only to designated members of the patient’s family or those designated by the patient.

Waiting Areas

There are designated lounge areas for visitors on each patient floor. Specific waiting areas have been designated for families and friends of patients in the critical care units, the Emergency Department and surgery on the first floor.

Out-of-Town Visitors

Accommodations for out-of-town visitors are available at nearby hotels. The hospital has preferred rates with several area hotels.

View a List of Area Hotels

Street parking is limited and metered.

Patient and Visitor Parking is available 24 hours—7 days a week in the GW University Science and Engineering Hall Garage at 800 22nd Street, NW. (Entrance is West of 22nd Street on H Street.) Parking validation is not available. Contact University Parking Services at 202-994-PARK

Valet parking is available from 6 a.m. – 7:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. The valet service is located near the front entrance of the hospital at 900 23rd Street, NW.

The cost is a flat rate of $25 per day.

Vehicles must be picked up by 7:30 p.m. Vehicles left in valet after 7:30 p.m. will be available for pick up the next business day.

View parking garages within walking distance to the hospital  >

Smoke-Free Environment

Because of the hospital’s interest in good health, and in accordance with local laws, The GW Hospital is a smoke-free environment. For this reason, smoking is prohibited in the hospital, outside our entrances and on our property. This includes electronic cigarettes.

Located on the Lobby Level, the cafeteria is open seven days a week for service as follows:

Monday - Friday 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Closed between 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.)

Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Closed between 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.)

Holiday hours dependent upon holiday.

Starbucks Coffee

Hours: 24 hours a day, seven days a week

Located in the cafeteria. 

Monday - Friday, 6:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Saturday, 7a.m. - 11 p.m.

Sunday, 7 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Vending machines are located in the cafeteria, Emergency Room waiting area and visitors’ lounges on the third, fourth and fifth floors.

Visitor Non-Discrimination

GW Hospital does not discriminate against patient visitors. Visitors are those individuals identified by the patient (or his/her representative) as playing a significant role in an individual’s life who have full and equal visitation privileges, regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

We recognize that care partners or support persons are individuals identified by the patient as being the closest to provide emotional, spiritual and physical support. This may be a friend, relative or life partner.

George Washington University Hospital

Washington, DC

Regionally Ranked

High performing, patient experience.

Medical Surgical ICU

Cardiac ICU

Bariatric/Weight Control Services

Addiction Treatment Services

Onsite Emergency Department

Book an Appointment

George Washington University Hospital | 900 23rd Street NW , Washington , DC 20037-2342

Doctors at George Washington University Hospital

U.S. News has extensive information in each doctor's profile to help you find the best one for you.

Babak Sarani MD

General Surgery

Trauma Surgery & Surgical Critical Care

Gurusher S. Panjrath MD

Cardiac Critical Care, Exercise Physiology and Cardiac Rehabilitation, Heart Failure & Transplantation, Adult Congenital Heart Disease

Mohamad Z. Koubeissi MD

Epilepsy, Neurophysiology

Saleem I. Abdulrauf MD

Neurosurgery

Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery, Skull Base

Tsion B. Abebe NP

Alexandria, VA

Family Nurse Practitioner

Family Care

Bruce M. Abell MD

Sunil U. Adige MD

General Oncology

Suzanne M. Adler MD

Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism

Diabetes, Parathyroid, Pituitary Disorders & Neuroendocrinology, Thyroid

Amir A. Afkhami MD

General Psychiatry

Jalil E. Ahari MD

Pulmonology

Critical Care Medicine, Pleural Disease

Arslan Ahmed MD

Poughkeepsie, NY

Internal Medicine

General Internal Medicine

Esma A. Akin MD

Nuclear Medicine

General Nuclear Medicine

Jeffrey S. Akman MD

Seth Akst MD

Anesthesiology

Critical Care Medicine

Elliot Aleskow MD

Mohanad Algaeed MD

General Neurology, Epilepsy, Neurophysiology

Adham K. Alkurashi MD

Mustafa Al-Mashat MD

Bethesda, MD

General Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine

Sarah Alsamarai MD

General Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease

Majd Al Shaarani MD

Houston, TX

Cytopathology, Genitourinary Pathology, Renal Pathology

Giath Alshkaki MD

Bariatric Surgery, Minimally Invasive Surgery

Naveria Ammad MD

General Internal Medicine, Nephrology

Joshua M. Ammerman MD

General Neurosurgery

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Quality rankings & ratings.

To help patients decide where to receive care, U.S. News generates hospital rankings by evaluating data on nearly 5,000 hospitals. To be nationally ranked in a specialty, a hospital must excel in caring for the sickest, most medically complex patients.

Adult Rankings

Procedures and Conditions Related to Cancer

Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery

Procedures and Conditions Related to Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery

Diabetes & Endocrinology

Procedures and Conditions Related to Diabetes & Endocrinology

Ear, Nose & Throat

Gastroenterology & gi surgery.

Procedures and Conditions Related to Gastroenterology & GI Surgery

Procedures and Conditions Related to Nephrology

Neurology & Neurosurgery

Procedures and Conditions Related to Neurology & Neurosurgery

Obstetrics & Gynecology

Procedures and Conditions Related to Obstetrics & Gynecology

Orthopedics

Procedures and Conditions Related to Orthopedics

Pulmonology & Lung Surgery

Procedures and Conditions Related to Pulmonology & Lung Surgery

Rehabilitation

Procedures and Conditions Related to Urology

Nearby Hospitals

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital

# 3 in Washington

Washington , DC

1.4 miles away

Howard University Hospital

1.9 miles away

Children's National Hospital

2.6 miles away

MedStar Washington Hospital Center

# 2 in Washington

2.8 miles away

MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital

2.9 miles away

Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medica...

Bridgepoint continuing care hospital ....

3.0 miles away

Psychiatric Institute of Washington

3.3 miles away

Capital Caring Hospital

Arlington , VA

3.9 miles away

Scores are based on surveys taken from this hospital’s inpatients after they were discharged inquiring about different aspects of their stay. The scores are not used in the Best Hospitals rankings.

Satisfaction with the hospital overall

How the patient felt about their hospital stay and discharge overall.

Willingness to recommend

Willingness of patients to recommend this hospital to others.

Satisfaction with doctors’ communications

How patients rated physicians in listening and explaining in a way that patients could understand.

Satisfaction with nurses’ communications

How patients rated nurses in listening and explaining in a way that patients could understand.

Satisfaction with efforts to prevent medication harm

How well medications, how they were to be taken, and side effects were explained before they were administered.

Satisfaction with quality of discharge information

How well staff reviewed adequacy of help at home and provided enough information in writing about symptoms and problems to watch for.

Satisfaction with involvement in recovery

How well patients’ wishes were considered in discharge planning and how well patients understood when they left how to care for themselves, what medications they will take and why.

Satisfaction with staff responsiveness

How promptly help was provided when needed or requested.

Satisfaction with hospital room cleanliness

How patients rated the cleanliness of their hospital room and bathroom.

Satisfaction with noise volume

How well patients rated the quietness of their hospital experience.

See all 10 Categories

Health equity.

Health equity is the absence of unjust and avoidable differences among groups of people, regardless of social, economic, or demographic identification. U.S. News evaluates hospital performance in health equity by analyzing data on various dimensions of equity for historically underserved patients.

Racial Disparities in Outcomes New

How successful the hospital is in enabling Black patients to live at home during their first 30 days of recovery, compared to White patients at that hospital. Recovery at home, rather than at a hospital or nursing home, is preferred by most patients and families.

Days at home after knee replacement, hip replacement, or back surgery (spinal fusion)

Days at home after aortic valve replacement, transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or heart bypass surgery, charity care.

How well hospital spending on free and discounted care for uninsured patients aligns with the proportion of uninsured in the surrounding community.

Charity care provision for uninsured patients

Similar to other hospitals

Community Residents Who Accessed Care at this Hospital New

How well the surrounding community is represented in the population treated by the hospital.

Representation of low-income patients

Breakdown by race & ethnicity.

The percentage of patients treated by the hospital for elective procedures compared to the community. County and state percentages were not included in the calculation of hospital scores.

Representation of non-white patients

Moderately lower than the community

Demographics

Representation of Black patients

Representation of asian american and pacific islander patients.

Comparable to or higher than the community

Representation of Hispanic patients

Representation of native american patients.

Insufficient data

Certain data used for the health equity analysis was provided by CareJourney and the Dartmouth Atlas Data website.

Elements of the Racial Disparities in Outcomes and Breakdown by Race & Ethnicity measures were developed by CareJourney using data accessed securely through the CMS Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC).

The data set forth at certain elements of the Community Residents Who Accessed Care at This Hospital and Charity Care portions of this Health Equity section were obtained from the Dartmouth Atlas Data website, which was funded by the...

Contact & Location

Hospital Location

900 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC, 20037-2342

Affiliated Hospital

Frequently Asked Questions

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The George Washington (GW) Cancer Center is a collaboration between GW Hospital, The GW Medical Faculty Associates, and the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences to expand GW’s efforts in the fight against cancer.

We are the GW Cancer Center

When faced with cancer, there are many difficult questions.

Who are the best doctors? Where can I get help? Will I get well? But there's no question about where to go: The GW Cancer Center.

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The GW Cancer Center boasts state-of-the-art research facilities dedicated to cancer discovery through interdisciplinary collaboration with scientists and clinicians throughout GW.

We are pleased that you have selected the GW Cancer Center to provide your cancer care and support. The information found here will acquaint you with available information and resources.

The GW Cancer Center provides a comprehensive range of research education and career development programs designed to equip the next generation of scientists and health care providers.

The GW Cancer Center Patient Experience

Joy West Vocal Cord Cancer Watch Joy's Video

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We’re a cancer center that brings science to the bedside for prevention and treatment, delivers interdisciplinary care, is engaged with our diverse communities to understand their cancer priorities, and influences policy across health systems.

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Lizie Sweeney has brains on the brain. More specifically, she has glioblastoma, a very aggressive form of brain cancer, at the front of her thoughts. As an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, she’s on a team researching novel therapies to treat…

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Visit Campus: Explore GW and GSEHD

CAMPUS & DC

Our location isn’t just where we are, it’s a big part of who we are. Our namesake envisioned a university in the nation’s capital that would prepare citizen leaders brought together from all over the world. Today, GW serves as an epicenter for education, leadership, and positive change. Taking full advantage of our setting, GSEHD offers unparalleled access to global opportunities. 

Whether you attend class in Washington, D.C. , at one of our other campuses , or earn your degree online, our programs are designed for working professionals with the flexibility needed to balance your career, family, and academic goals. Regardless of your program's location or format, you will reap the benefits of learning firsthand from the best of D.C.'s experts.

GSEHD Academic Building

GSEHD's headquarters, located at 2134 G Street NW, Washington, DC , is near the heart of the Foggy Bottom campus. Study and intern within walking distance of our nation's capitol, feel and build on the energy within the city, and take advantage of opportunities in the city to leave your mark on the future of education in our country and beyond.

GW Foggy Bottom Campus

Conveniently integrated into the heart of Washington, D.C., alongside our nation's premier monuments, museums, and performing arts centers, not to mention the federal and international mecca of our country, our historic Foggy Bottom campus serves as a destination of its own. Attracting visitors from around the globe, our campus offers educational and cultural offerings through our research facilities, art studios and museums, famous auditoriums, and more.

   Experience life at GW and explore where your transformation will begin. Join International Education alumna, Caroline Rakus-Wojciechowski, to get a feel for your new home in the heart of D.C. Check out some of the places to study, eat, and explore, all within steps of the GSEHD building.

   Register for a Campus Tour : Tours last approximately one hour. If you would like to talk to a faculty or staff member during your visit, please contact the GSEHD Admissions team .

Washington, D.C.

Our location in the heart of the nation’s capital—the epicenter of policy, practice, and research—provides a distinct advantage: extraordinary access to extraordinary opportunities and leaders.

As a GW student, you'll make D.C. your own, whether it's visiting national landmarks in your backyard, taking advantage of unbeatable internship opportunities, or enjoying the city's world-class food scene!

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Review GW's Current COVID Policy >

Additional GW Campuses That Offer GSEHD Courses

The Alexandria Education Center is located at  413 John Carlyle Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 .

Old Town Alexandria is the heart of Virginia's Potomac River waterfront. This beautifully-preserved historic district is George Washington's adopted hometown easily accessible by the free King Street Trolley, bike, or on foot and also conveniently located near Ronald Reagan National Airport and Metrorail station ( just a few blocks from the King Street Metro stop on the Blue and Yellow lines ).

The Center offers courses in master’s and certificate programs, including art therapy, educational administration, human resources, counseling, public relations and more.

It features a state-of-the-art Mac lab, a community counseling center and classrooms. The art therapy program infuses creativity into the space with an art studio and an art gallery that changes on a regular basis.  

The Arlington Education Center is located at  950 N. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22203 .

Known for walkable urban centers like Crystal City, Rosslyn and Ballston, Arlington sits just across the Potomac from Washington DC. Arlington is car-optional and offers students an ideal learning environment while maintaining a convenient commute. The Center is located less than a mile from the Ballston Metro stop on the Orange and Silver lines.

The Center offers courses in  master's and certificate programs, including education, engineering, security, organizational sciences and more.

The center features 24,000 square feet of learning space with computer labs, a homework lab, student and faculty lounges and fully equipped meeting rooms and classrooms.  

Located in Loudoun County, 30 miles west of Washington, D.C. between Washington Dulles International Airport and Leesburg, the Virginia Science & Technology campus is home to busy students taking courses in our weekend cohorts.

Learn more about the campus and how to get there >

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The Department of Medicine

George Washington University Hospital

Completed in 2002, George Washington University Hospital serves a diverse group of patients — from area residents to visiting dignitaries and heads of state. As a designated tertiary care and academic institution, the hospital provides physicians and patients with the latest in technological innovations for the diagnosis and treatment of the most acute clinical conditions. The level 1 trauma center emergency department treats more than 72,000 patients each year and more than 15,000 patients are admitted each year. GW is also designated as a cardiac cath  and stroke center by EMS, who preferentially bring us AMI and acute stroke cases from the field.

Visit GW Hospital website

GW Medical Faculty Associates

The GW Medical Faculty Associates is a non-profit physician group practice corporation comprising the academic clinical faculty for The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The largest multi-specialty physician practice in Washington, D.C., the MFA includes more than 300 physicians providing medical care in 41 specialty areas.

Visit GW Medical Faculty Associates website

INOVA Fairfax Hospital

Inova Fairfax Hospital is one of the most highly ranked hospitals in the nation. This 753-bed facility includes a brand new heart institute. Fairfax sees over 70,000 ER visits per year and has more than 50,000 admissions per year. The hospital also uses forefront technology to support heart, lung, renal, liver, and pancreatic transplant services. The recent addition of this hospital to our residency program experience will open up 15 new fellowship spots in gastroenterology, cardiology, critical care, infectious disease, nephrology, and hematology/oncology.

Visit INOVA Fairfax website

Washington D.C. VA Medical Center

The Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington DC (DCVAMC) medical center's staff of 1,700 provides care to veterans residing in the District of Columbia and portions of Virginia and Maryland. The medical center treats over 50,000 veterans and has over 500,000 outpatient visits each year. This tertiary care teaching facility provides acute general and specialized services in medicine, surgery, neurology and psychiatry, as well offering nursing home care unit treatment.

The DC VAMC is the only VA medical center to hold three medical school affiliations. It is also affiliated with many other colleges and universities in such areas as pharmacy, rehabilitation medicine, biomedical engineering, dietetics, social work, nursing and medical center management. VA manages the largest medical education and health professions training program in the United States. The DCVAMC is among the top 100 "Most Wired" hospitals in the nation according to Hospital & Health Network's (H&HN) magazine, the journal of the American Hospital Association. The DCVAMC is also the 2009 winner of the "Medallion of Excellence," the highest honor presented for organizational achievement by the U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Awards of Virginia (SPQA).

Visit DCVAMC website

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) conducts and supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. For more than 50 years, NIAID research has led to new therapies, vaccines, diagnostic tests, and other technologies that have improved the health of millions of people in the United States and around the world. Our senior residents rotate with faculty at the NIAID providing unique opportunities for research and mentoring.

Visit NIAID website

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The Department of Pathology

Welcome to the Department of Pathology

A message from the chair.

Antonia R. Sepulveda MD, PhD is a professor and chairwoman of the Department of Pathology at George Washington University (GW). She is an expert in gastrointestinal pathology and genomic and molecular diagnostic pathology. Before joining GW, Dr. Sepulveda was the director of the Division of Gastrointestinal Pathology at Columbia University in New York, where she was also director of the gastrointestinal pathology fellowship program and vice-chair for translational research.

Learn more about the Dr. Antonia R. Sepulveda

Mission Statement :

Our mission at the George Washington University (GW) Department of Pathology is to provide outstanding cutting-edge diagnostics for clinical care, exceptional training and education to prepare the next generation of pathologists and scientists, and innovative research to advance medical knowledge.

The GW Department of Pathology is home to approximately 35 clinical faculty, 17 residents and clinical fellows, research faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and specialized staff. Our distinguished cadre of nationally and internationally recognized faculty define a vibrant environment where cutting-edge clinical diagnostics, education, and translational research come together and work synergistically. Our faculty are based primarily at the George Washington University campus in Foggy Bottom, as well as at the Children’s National Medical Center and the Washington VA Medical Center. Our faculty’s research expertise covers a wide range with particular areas of strength in cancer biology, genomics, bioinformatics, digital pathology, cancer, pre-cancer predictive biomarkers, and vaccine development.

The GW Department of Pathology provides clinical laboratory services for the George Washington University Hospital  and its ambulatory clinics, the GW Cancer Center , and the clinical enterprise provided by the GW Medical Faculty Associates , covering all medical and surgical subspecialties. We provide expert consultation services in general surgical pathology, with special expertise in gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary, pancreas, breast, and GYN pathology. We also provide services in laboratory medicine spanning genomics of cancer, molecular virology such as SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RT-PCR and antibody testing, and a wide range of other tests.

We invite you to visit the pages of our website to explore our offerings in clinical diagnostics, education, training, and research.

Please feel free to contact us if you need any additional information .

The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences offers an ACGME-accredited residency program in Pathology, training physicians to become exceptionally skilled in the practice of both anatomic and clinical pathology.

The Division of Anatomic Pathology offers a one-year ACGME accredited fellowship in Cytopathology and a one-year fellowship in Surgical Pathology . Children's Hospital offers a one-year ACGME accredited fellowship in Pediatric Pathology .

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Gastroenterology & Liver Diseases

Our Locations       Meet Our Providers      

Make a New Patient Appointment:     Call 202-741-2160

Make an Existing Patient Appointment

Services We Offer & Conditions We Treat:

• Upper endoscopy
• Colonoscopy
• Polypectomy
• Endoscopic ultrasound
• Photodynamic therapy for treatment of esophageal malignancies

Important Update

Dear Patients,

The GW MFA Division of Gastroenterology is undergoing a transformation, and as always, we remain committed to delivering the best possible care for our patients. With this in mind, our goal is to enhance access and continue to deliver high-quality care for our current patients at our 2150 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, location.

Like so many academic medical centers around the country in the aftermath of the pandemic, we are rebuilding our physician and advanced practitioner teams and are excited for our new colleagues to start this fall. As we grow, we expect to be able to welcome new patients to our practice again soon. Thank you so much for entrusting the GW MFA with your care. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our offices.

Thank you very much for your patience and understanding during this time.

The Division of Gastroenterology at The GW Medical Faculty Associates provides leading edge care, diagnoses, and treatments to patients suffering from disorders of the digestive system, liver, and pancreas.

Our providers are among the most highly trained in the nation offering both outpatient and inpatient services in the management of gastrointestinal hepatic, and nutritional disorders.

Endoscopy Center

The Endoscopy Center provides the ability to diagnose and treat disorders of the entire gastrointestinal tract with state of the art endoscopic equipment. We perform upper endoscopy, colonoscopy, polypectomy, ERCP, endoscopic ultrasound and photodynamic therapy for treatment of esophageal malignancies.

Treatment for GERD & Other Digestive Disorders

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most prevalent diseases of the gastrointestinal tract; prompting more than 1.8 million outpatient clinic visits per year. Approximately 44% of Americans report GERD at least once a month. The GW Medical Faculty Associates offers comprehensive management of GERD, including the latest technology in diagnosis and therapy.

Symptoms of GERD result from acid exposure to the esophagus. The classic symptom of GERD is heartburn, a burning feeling that radiates from the stomach to the neck, typically occurring after meals. Other common symptoms include acid regurgitation and difficulty swallowing. Some less common symptoms include nausea, hiccups, chest pain, cough, asthma, sore throat, and hoarseness.

The esophagus has natural barriers to acid exposure, one of which is the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The LES is a muscle at the junction of the esophagus and the stomach, which functions to prevent acid from refluxing back into the esophagus. The most common cause of GERD is transient relaxation of the LES, which can be caused by a number of dietary and environmental factors. A hiatal hernia, when the stomach slips above the diaphragm, can also weaken the LES. In addition, abnormalities in esophageal motility, salvia production, gastric emptying may cause GERD.

Barrett’s Esophagus involves a change in the normal squamous lining of the esophagus to an intestinal type as a response to acid exposure from GERD. Barrett’s Esophagus is significant because it carries an elevated risk for esophageal cancer, abut 30-125 times that of the general population. The annual risk of esophageal cancer with Barrett’s Esophagus is approximately 0.5%.

How is Barrett's Esophagus Diagnosed?

Barrett’s Esophagus is found in approximately 6-12% of patients undergoing endoscopy for GERD. The diagnosis is established with biopsies of the affected area on two separate endoscopies. Biopsies are classified in to the following categories:

• No dysplasia (abnormal cells)
• Low grade dysplasia
• High grade dysplasia

How is Barrett's Esophagus Treated?

The treatment of Barrett’s Esophagus is based on what category it falls into after biopsy. All grades of Barrett’s Esophagus are treated with medications that suppress acid secretion from the stomach. Barrett’s without dysplasia is also followed with periodic endoscopy. Barrett’s with low grade dysplasia must be followed more closely with endoscopic surveillance.

Endoscopic therapies are available for treatment of low grade dysplasia in Barrett’s including Barrx ablation and endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR). Barrx ablation uses thermal energy to ablate or destroy the Barrett’s mucosa. EMR is another endoscopic technique where the Barrett’s mucosa is superficially resected or removed. Patients with high grade dysplasia have a high risk of progression to cancer and typically require surgery. Endoscopic therapy is also available for high grade dysplasia in patients who are not good surgical candidates.

Per-Oral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM)

Per-oral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) is a minimally-invasive procedure performed to help restore a patient’s ability to swallow food and liquids.

No external scars. No need to avoid food or the embarrassment of eating in public. The GW Medical Faculty Associates has a new addition to our services that can help patients who have swallowing difficulties, frequent regurgitation, and chest pain or weight loss. Per-oral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) is a minimally-invasive procedure performed to help restore a patient’s ability to swallow food and liquids. POEM is a safe alternative which can help patients recover more quickly compared to traditional surgery.

During the POEM procedure, patients are administered anesthesia and antibiotics through an IV insert, and  our surgeons  insert a flexible endoscope through the mouth to access the esophagus. Tiny surgical endoscopic attachments can be used to create a tunnel as the instruments are passed through the esophagus toward the stomach. This tunneling technique involves cutting of the esophagus’s inner layer muscle fibers that block food from flowing through the esophagus to the stomach. Thus, no external incisions will be made to the gastrointestinal area. There will be only one internal incision, which permits the endoscope to enter the esophagus. This same incision is closed with endoscopic clips when the procedure is finished. Following the procedure, patients are expected to stay under hospital care for monitoring.

Can I Benefit from POEM?

This surgical therapy procedure was developed for patients suffering from achalasia, a condition that is often misdiagnosed and causes difficulty in swallowing. The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) plays a major role in allowing food to access the stomach. As the LES sits at the junction of the stomach and esophagus, pressure creates contractions in the LES to help food travel down the esophagus and enter the stomach. In a patient dealing with achalasia, the LES has trouble relaxing and does not open and close as it normally should. It assumes a closed position, which creates the swallowing difficulties. POEM, however, is not limited to patients with achalasia. POEM is also used to help patients struggling with other esophageal disorders that are non-responsive to other treatments.

Our team at The GW Medical Faculty Associates will continue to embrace advanced and innovative technologies that will reduce invasiveness and improve our patients’ quality care.

Fundoplication

There are three different types of fundoplications:

• The Nissen Fundoplication
• Toupet Fundoplicaiton
• The DOR Fundoplication

The Nissen Fundoplication is the most common and effective long term anti-reflux procedure. Laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery involves reinforcement of the dysfunctional LES. Five small incisions (all < 1 inch) are used as opposed to a large “open” operation which may require a large 10-12 inch midline incision. A laparoscope is used as a camera to visualize and magnify the abdominal contents transmitting the images to monitors outside the body. Long thin instruments are used to wrap the top of the stomach around the lower portion of the esophagus to recreate and reinforce the dysfunctional LES. This is called a fundoplication or wrap. The advantage of laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery include a smaller incision, less pain, shorter hospital stay, lower chance of future hernia formation, and an earlier return to work and normal activities. A liquid diet is started the day after surgery and advanced to a soft diet as tolerated. Patients will need to continue on soft foods for approximately 2-4 weeks after surgery. The majority of patients spend one night in the hospital and are discharged home on the next day. Most patients return to work in less than one week depending on the physical requirements of their occupation. Patients return approximately two weeks after surgery for routine follow-up with their surgeon.

Non-surgical treatments for GERD?

The initial treatment of GERD involves lifestyle modification including dietary changes, avoiding alcohol/tobacco, and weight loss. Medical therapy is often required and is aimed at reducing acid production in the stomach. Surgical endoscopic procedures, which tighten the junction of the esophagus and stomach, are available for patients who do not respond to lifestyle changes or medical therapy.

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House Republicans look to intervene in D.C.’s response to GWU encampment

“We want to ensure that the Washington police is working with campus police to ensure the safety of Jewish students,” said House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.).

House Republicans have summoned D.C.’s mayor and police chief to testify before a congressional committee about their decision not to clear a pro-Palestinian encampment at George Washington University — the latest in a wide-reaching GOP effort to use the nationwide demonstrations to paint the country as embroiled in chaos under President Biden .

Federal lawmakers, speaking from GWU’s encampment on Wednesday, said they will use the hearing to compel more aggressive police action at the demonstration unfolding five blocks from the White House.

The response from the District, which involved rejecting pleas from GWU to sweep out the encampment, has stood in sharp contrast to the scenes on other campuses across the country. Police departments in recent days have responded to requests from school officials to clear protests, at times dressing in riot gear and deploying chemical irritants to disperse demonstrators. The law enforcement crackdown has led to arrests of more than 1,600 protesters nationwide, according to a tally by The Washington Post.

College protests over Gaza war

At the GWU encampment, which by Wednesday had grown from 30 tents to about 150 and drew students from across the region, D.C. police had yet to make a single arrest.

“We have legislative jurisdiction over the city of D.C.,” said House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), who visited the tent encampment at GWU on Wednesday afternoon with other committee members. “We want to ensure that the Washington police is working with campus police to ensure the safety of Jewish students.”

Some demonstrators began to chant “Hands off D.C.” Most of the student protesters, meanwhile, made a point to stay away. They were sitting in the encampment, which they now called “The Liberation Zone,” amid stations for dishwashing and free food.

“We are creating a microcosm of the world we want to see, one of inclusion, collectivism and communal care,” said Rafi El-Habashi, a 21-year-old junior journalism student at GWU. “And that’s exactly what we wanted to show the people, the members of Congress who came here today.”

The congressional scrutiny into the District’s tactics has entwined two points of growing tension: a year-long onslaught of federal intervention in District affairs, and a pressing question about how to best handle the wave of pro-Palestinian protests spreading on many college campuses.

As demonstrations across the country produced violent scenes — with students pepper-sprayed, officers injured and building windows smashed — the protesters on GWU’s campus have remained relatively calm. D.C. police, in rejecting requests last week from university officials to clear the demonstrators out of the on-campus encampment, said they worried about the optics of moving against a small number of peaceful protesters.

To D.C. officials, the relative quiet shows, at least in part, that their strategy is working. To others, including House Republicans, the sustained demonstration is “radical, antisemitic and unlawful” — and therefore requires an aggressive police response to end.

“If the District of Columbia and [D.C. police] refuse to exercise their authority to assist GWU in securing the safety of its students and faculty, Congress will be obliged to exercise its legislative powers to do so,” Comer and Education Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) wrote in a Tuesday letter to Bowser and Smith.

GWU officials, according to a university statement , met Wednesday with the Republican lawmakers and “reaffirmed their commitment to the safety of all students.” The school declined to answer questions on whether it had continued to request that D.C. police clear the encampment, which began April 25.

Republicans across the country have become increasingly vocal about pro-Palestinian protests, saying they endanger Jewish students and are a symptom of lawlessness under Biden. Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) have demanded that Biden mobilize the National Guard to campuses to protect Jewish students. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) recently called on Columbia University’s president to resign during a visit to that campus . Meanwhile, former president Donald Trump has accused Democrats of being unable to maintain order.

Bowser, at a news conference Wednesday, highlighted demonstrations in other parts of the country and suggested the lawmakers’ attention on D.C. was misplaced.

“The members have universities in their own districts, especially the member from North Carolina, and I was watching a lot of activity in North Carolina,” Bowser said at a news conference, referencing a protest at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “It would seem that her energy would be best placed there.”

Congress alone does not have the power to take over the District’s police force nor deploy the D.C. National Guard. Both actions, which are allowed in certain situations because of the city’s unique status as a federal district, require presidential action.

But there are tools at federal lawmakers’ disposal — holding hearings, striking down local legislation , controlling the city’s budget — that can hamstring D.C. officials. Bowser and her staff, D.C. Council members and other local officials have appeared multiple times before the House Oversight Committee in the last year at hearings that have often focused on the District’s response to violent crime.

Unfolding in the same building were contentious committee hearings about antisemitism on college campuses. Within weeks of appearing at one hearing in December, the presidents at Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania, who faced pressure on different fronts, resigned. Last month, the House Education and the Workforce Committee called on Columbia University’s president to testify . That day, a tent encampment appeared on her campus in New York that would kick-start a nationwide movement.

As the GWU demonstration continues, more protesters have moved onto the campus-adjacent H Street NW, a public street fully in the jurisdiction of D.C. police.

“The university hasn’t changed any request to [D.C. police],” said Tom Lynch, a police department spokesman. “And we haven’t changed anything about our posture.”

Ahead of the Republican lawmakers’ visit to the encampment, students sat in the shade among the tents, ate pizza on picnic blankets and talked with friends. Two towels air dried on a rope tied between a tree and a GWU light post. A “People’s Garden” had pots of za’atar, lemon, lavender, mint and sage.

At the center of University Yard, the statue of George Washington was covered in pro-Palestinian stickers. On its back rested a large dry erase board with community guidelines. The first one, in red, was “NO ZIONISM!”

Nearby was a green tent that over the last week had become home for Selina Al-Shihabi, a 20-year-old Georgetown University sophomore. Inside, there was a blue sleeping bag, boxes of Trix cereal and a book titled “A History of Modern Palestine.”

Al-Shihabi, who said her grandparents left Gaza, Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1955, said she had been feeling depressed and “disillusioned with the real world” since the Israel-Gaza war began.

“Being at this camp was like the first time in six months where I actually felt excited to be awake, where I felt excited to contribute to a society where people care more about humanity than themselves,” she said.

The House Republicans walked through the encampment surrounded by layers of journalists. They passed signs with messages such as “FREE PALESTINE” and “JEWS 4 a FREE PALESTINE” — though it was unclear if they could see them through the crowd.

Stopping on H Street NW for a news conference, Comer vowed to “to do everything in our ability” to make D.C. police clear the encampment, and he said he will investigate at the hearing next Wednesday whether there were “outside groups paying for these types of activity.”

“Help is on the way for George Washington University,” he said.

Comer declined to name specific actions he would take if D.C. officials continued to order a restrained police response at the university.

As the lawmakers exited campus, Emily Weprin, a student at GWU, stopped Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and thanked her for urging Bowser to dismantle the encampment.

“Thank you for protecting Jewish students against terroristic ideals that are being perpetuated throughout the camp,” Weprin, who is Jewish, recalled saying.

Although Weprin does not typically agree with Boebert’s politics, including Boebert’s denial of the 2020 presidential election results, she said they have found “common ground” over this issue.

Meagan Flynn contributed to this report.