Baptist Jacksonville’s Center for Endoscopy celebrates half a century of providing exceptional patient care

Baptist Health and Borland Groover are celebrating 50 years of providing technologically advanced, high-quality gastrointestinal (GI) care to residents throughout Northeast Florida and beyond.

Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville’s Center for Endoscopy was established in 1974 by Jack Groover, founder of Borland Groover, who became the hospital’s first chief of gastroenterology. Through the years, it has evolved into a full-scale endoscopy center performing over 6,000 procedures annually.

Today, the center offers advanced screening and diagnostic colonoscopies and upper endoscopies to diagnose and treat patients with autoimmune disorders, such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, plaque psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Your gut knows: the importance of digestive health

“A person’s GI tract, also known as the digestive system, is a crucial part of life expectancy and quality of life. The Center for Endoscopy has improved the quality of life for patients and saved thousands of lives throughout these 50 years,” said Vikram Gopal, MD, AGAF, chief of gastroenterology at Baptist Jacksonville.

One of the teams most important roles at the center is providing early cancer diagnosis. Colonoscopies, which are recommended to begin at age 45, can detect cancer in its beginning stages, when survival rates are about 90%.

“We strive to detect issues before they lead to cancer or to diagnose it in the beginnings stages when it’s easier to cure,” said Dr. Gopal. “We diagnose and treat multiple types of cancers including gastric, pancreatic, liver and colon cancer.”

From humble beginnings to high-tech advancements

The gastroenterology laboratory was originally on the first floor of Baptist Jacksonville across from the Emergency Room.

“Over time, the center has doubled in size, our technology has improved, and our patient referrals have grown, drawing thousands of patients from throughout the region,” said Dr. Gopal.

“The Center for Endoscopy at Baptist Jacksonville is one of the most technologically advanced gastroenterology labs in the region, providing treatments that are available only at this location.”

Among these groundbreaking therapies are therapeutic endoscopic ultrasound, a minimally invasive procedure that examines the upper digestive tract for cysts, tumors and other abnormalities, and double balloon enteroscopy, a nonsurgical procedure that finds and treats issues deep inside the small intestine.

“Baptist Health has always been willing to invest early in technology. This support has allowed us to develop an aggressive therapeutic endoscopy program and recruit extremely talented and dedicated physicians,” said Dr. Kyle Etzkorn, CEO of Borland Groover.

“We’re very proud of this center’s growth and progress over the years and our collaboration with Baptist Health,” said Dr. Etzkorn. “We share a commitment to delivering exceptional health care services that are accessible, comprehensive, and patient-focused and we are looking forward to what the next 50 years have in store for advancing patient care even further.”

A celebration was hosted this afternoon at Baptist Jacksonville to honor the history and achievements of the endoscopy lab, as well as the dedicated teams who have made it possible. This included opportunities for guests to handle procedural devices to learn more about the latest innovations and technologies in the field of endoscopy.

“Our Center for Endoscopy has been at the forefront of medical advancements with compassionate care,” said Nicole B. Thomas, MHA, FACHE, president of Baptist Jacksonville. “The dedication and expertise of our teams have continually enhanced patient outcomes and reinforced our standard of excellence in gastrointestinal health."