Clemenceau Medical Center, in affiliation with Johns Hopkins Medicine International, announced its third annual Gastroenterology Symposium that was held on Sept. 17, 2015, in Beirut, Lebanon. Physicians from around the region gathered to discuss the latest trends and discoveries in gastroenterology, including new treatments for hepatitis C, improved understanding of gluten sensitivity and allergy, and enhanced dietary and supplement advice for patients with liver disease. The theme for this year’s symposium—From traditional therapies to state-of-the-art biomedicine: Evidence to Practice—highlighted the importance of preventive health and the latest treatments designed to produce the best patient outcomes.
“Gatherings like this one are an important forum for physicians to learn from each other by sharing research, best practices and conferring about trends we are seeing in our practice,” says Dr. Kalaawi, CEO of Clemenceau Medical Center. “The takeaways will help us advance care in the region.”
Three Johns Hopkins Medicine faculty based in Baltimore, USA, travelled to Beirut to present at the continuing medical education credited event. Linda Lee, M.D., founder and director of Johns Hopkins Integrative Medicine and Digestive Center and clinical director of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology, discussed how milk thistle and its derivatives are used to treat liver disease, and how to distinguish gluten sensitivity from gluten allergy and recognize their clinical manifestations. Zhiping Li, M.D., director of hepatology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and associate professor of medicine, covered the epidemiology of fatty liver disease and its impact to health, new techniques for screening for and treating hepatitis C, and diagnosing autoimmune hepatitis. Mark Lazarev, M.D., assistant professor of medicine, shared insight on available medications, nutrition guidelines and health issues of patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
“This year’s symposium addressed topics and common digestive disorders that are of interest to both physicians and patients,” Ammar Ghazale, M.D., a gastroenterologist and interventional endoscopist at Clemenceau Medical Center. “We believe educating patients about their disorders and therapies helps them take an active role in improving their quality of life.”
Clemenceau Medical Center, one of the top private hospitals in Lebanon and the region, and Johns Hopkins Medicine International, the global arm of Johns Hopkins Medicine, have been affiliated since 2002 (years before its inauguration) . Through their collaboration, the two organizations have developed different clinical programs, supported all three Joint Commission International reaccreditation processes and strengthened capacity by providing lectures, workshops, seminars and conferences on site covering the topics of gastroenterology, cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, women’s health, internal medicine and nursing leadership, among others.