While Tennessee may seem a little unusual choice for a Canadian to pick as a place to practice, for Babu Rao, MD, it seems to have been a perfect choice. The gastroenterologist has spent the past 22 years in the volunteer state. Although the bulk of his time has been in Nashville, two years ago he moved to West Tennessee to practice in Jackson at Tennova Healthcare - Regional Jackson.
Rao became interested in medicine, and gastroenterology, through his father’s best friend, who specialized in gastroenterology in Canada. While in college, Rao worked in a GI lab which further increased his interest in the specialty. In 1981, he entered medical school at Memorial University of Newfoundland where he also completed a one year rotating internship followed by his two-year internal medicine residency. He then spent two-years at McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario completing a fellowship in gastroenterology.
In 1991, he joined Dr. Somayaji’s practice in Nashville. “My wife is from Indiana and her best friend was in residency at Vanderbilt,” said Rao. “She actually was the one that made the connection with Dr. Somayaji for us. He was looking for a partner to join his practice. He had been practicing for nearly 30 years and was wanting to slow down. Ironically, it took him ten years to retire.”
After sharing call with Nashville GI consultants for several years, Rao decided to join that group. In 2008, Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) asked the group to join one of their multi-specialty groups. “At the time we thought it was a good idea to make the move from private practice to being employed,” said Rao. “After several years, I realized I wasn’t happy. My girls were grown and my wife and I felt it was a good time to look around. I spent a year working in Clarksdale, Mississippi working in a situation where there was not good leadership. When the opportunity came up in Jackson, we took it because it put us closer to Middle Tennessee.”
The move to Jackson meant Rao would start a new practice as an employee of Tennova Healthcare – Regional Jackson. His office was within a block of the hospital. “When I came on board, it was obvious there was definitely a need since the hospital did not have a GI at the time. The previous group that had covered there had been bought by the other hospital in town leaving Regional with no GI and having to send cases out for treatment. Since coming on board, the practice has been growing steadily. While I am the only GI on campus full-time, I share call with gastroenterologists from the Jackson Clinic.”
Since joining Tennova, Rao has brought several new procedures and equipment to the practice. “Colon cancer is the third most prevalent type of cancer in the country and yet it is very preventable if people will just get screened. We realize that people are busy and having to schedule a consult with a GI prior to having the screening can be a barrier to them getting one,” said Rao. “Open Access screening colonoscopy allows the patient or referring physician to schedule the screening colonoscopy without a prior full gastrointestinal specialty consultation with their provider. Open Access is appropriate for healthy patients who need a routine screening colonoscopy and who have no serious medical conditions. We have found this method to be very successful in getting patients to be screened.”
One other new technique Rao has brought to Tennova Regional is the ERCP, which is short for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. This procedure is used to diagnose diseases of the gallbladder, biliary system, pancreas and liver. “The test looks "upstream" where digestive fluid comes from (the liver, gallbladder and pancreas) to where it enters the intestines,” said Rao. “The ERCP can also be used to treat problems in these parts of the digestive system.”
During ERCP, a gastroenterologist uses a special endoscope (a long, flexible tube with a light and camera at the end) to examine the inside of the digestive system. The doctor identifies the place where the bile duct comes into the intestine and then feeds a tiny catheter (a plastic tube) into the duct and squirts in a contrast agent while X-rays are taken. The contrast agent allows the doctor to see the bile ducts, the gallbladder, and the pancreatic duct on the X-rays.
Another procedure Rao would like to bring forward is an extension of ERCP and is called SPYGLASS or cholangioscopy. “This procedure allows the physician to visualize the inside of the bile duct and obtain more directed biopsies which allows for more efficient and expedited management of biliary strictures and cancers.”
“I have always been a hands on person and love doing procedures so GI was a natural match for me,” said Rao, who is an avid reader and sports fan. “With all the hurdles there are in medicine these days, you had better love what you do and fortunately I do.”
Print
