About Us

Chief’s Welcome

The University of Florida Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition is nationally and internationally renowned for its patient care, clinical investigations and basic research. The distinguished faculty have a major commitment to teaching and research in addition to their clinical activities. The division is consistently identified as one of the top 3% gastroenterology units in the country by U.S. News and World Report. There is a 16-bed inpatient digestive and liver disease service at UF Health Shands Hospital that cares for patients with liver diseases, liver transplants, gastrointestinal and pancreatic diseases. A hyperalimentation metabolic support service, directed by the division, provides the enteral and parenteral hyperalimentation consultations to all patients at UF Health Shands Hospital. The division runs consultation services at UF Health Shands Hospital and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Christopher E. Forsmark, MD
Professor of Medicine & Chief

There are state-of-the-art computerized video endoscopy suites at both UF Health Shands Hospital and the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center. The endoscopy suites regularly perform upper endoscopy, colonoscopy, and therapeutic endoscopic procedures. A number of special procedures including biliary manometry, endoscopic removal of bile duct stones, biliary and pancreatic duct stent placement, esophageal stent placement, achalasia dilation, botulinum toxin injection therapy of achalasia, enteroscopy, endoscopic ultrasonography, and laser therapy of GI neoplasms are performed on a daily basis.

There is a unique gastrointestinal diagnostic laboratory for specialized testing, not often found at other medical centers. Studies include pancreatic secretory tests, 14C and 13C xylose breath tests for detecting bacterial overgrowth, Helicobacter pylori breath tests, serum trypsin levels, and an array of manometry procedures to assess gastrointestinal motility. These capabilities attract patients to our medical center from all over the United States.

The medical center has an active liver transplant program. UF Health Shands Hospital  is one of the top 10 most active liver transplant programs in the country. UF Liver Transplantation Page.

Extensive outpatient activities are conducted by the faculty of the division in outpatient clinics. Each clinic is organ or disease-related so that referring physicians can easily select a date on which they want their patient with a digestive, liver, or nutritional disorder to be evaluated.