Where Everyone’s an Insider
Fort Washington team builds trust to encourage colonoscopies.
Leading with a bold approach, Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center is successfully serving a growing, diverse community in what historically has been one of the most medically underserved areas in Maryland.
Just ask Surgical Services Director Schallery Colbert, RN. Her team focuses on improving clinical outcomes through collaboration with physician practices such as GI Associates of Maryland, based in Waldorf, on complex endoscopic cases at the hospital.
“It is imperative that we provide a service to the community for the patients that look like us, and others who don’t,” Schallery said. “We build rapport early on to gain their trust and help calm any fears.”
Every Patient is Special
Complex endoscopic cases include patients who have a high body mass index, heart issues or larger polyps found during a colonoscopy, according to Fort Washington endoscopy technician Fatima Richards. Providing a family-like atmosphere where compassion is intertwined with godly love helps “reassure patients that everything will be OK,” Fatima said. The endoscopy team uses humor, music and prayer. Communicating with a smile also “is a big thing,” she added.
Lornette Mills, MD, a board-certified gastroenterologist who joined GI Associates in 2001, admires how the Fort Washington endoscopy team treats everyone like royalty. “If you treat every patient as a VIP, you won’t have to worry about treating one patient this way and another patient that way,” Dr. Mills said.
Her colleagues, Khadijat Balogun, MD, and Gowri Kularatna, MD, also appreciate the hospital’s patient-centered approach to care.
“Sometimes, patients just want to vent to you, share what’s going on in their life or express their fears or concerns,” said Dr. Balogun, whose sister received a colonoscopy at Fort Washington Medical Center in December 2023. “The way the endoscopy team treats patients is nice to see. I’m really impressed.”
“They are always so nice, very knowledgeable and helpful,” Dr. Kularatna added. “I just can’t say enough about the great team there.”
Treating all the same
Colorectal cancer is preventable through screenings, but Black people are 20% more likely to be diagnosed and 40% more likely to die from the disease compared to their white counterparts, according to the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists.
“The Association recommends colonoscopy screening at age 45. I’m only 38 and when I noticed something wasn’t right, I got checked out. It turns out that I had three polyps, two of which were precancerous,” Fatima shared. “This taught me a lesson to never take your body for granted.”
Fort Washington education specialist Karen Graham, RN, said the best way to prolong one’s gastrointestinal health and livelihood is by getting screened sooner than later.
“Your body is a temple,” she emphasized. “Take care of it. Get screened.”
Take that first step today. Get screened by a trusted expert at Fort Washington Medical Center. Visit AHCYOU.com/S24FWMC to find a doctor.
Lead endoscopy technician Tyrone Jerry is part of the team expanding access to GI procedures at Fort Washington Medical Center.
