“As long as you treat your patients like a member of your own family, you can’t go wrong.”

Although it has been many years since Dr. Vishal Gupta first received this bit of advice, it has served him well and is a big part of the reason he believes Gastroenterology of Greater Orlando is such a success.

“We’ve tried to instill that motto in all of our practice, where we treat everyone like family,” Dr. Gupta says. “That’s, I think, the big difference that sets us apart.”

Gupta started Gastroenterology of Greater Orlando in 2007, and since its founding the practice has grown to include three locations—in Orange City, Lake Mary and DeLand—and, more recently, two state-of-the-art surgical centers. The first surgical center recently opened in Orange City, and the second will be opening soon in Lake Mary.

As Gastroenterology of Greater Orlando has grown, so has its patient base—but this hasn’t changed the quality care the staff dedicates to each person who walks through the door.

“We sit down with our patients. We listen to them, listen to their families, listen to their concerns,” Dr. Dany Shamoun says. “Sometimes it goes beyond a simple medical problem. Sometimes the medical problem is the simple part of fixing a situation. We do spend time with our patients.”

This care speaks to not only the longevity of patient relationships, but also to the fact that current patients recommend Gastroenterology of Greater Orlando to family and friends.

“Of course we see patients back for their routine screenings, but what is more important to me is that we often see several family members or friends of our patients,” Dr. Jennifer Sinclair explains, “as well as other physicians and their spouses, which is an attestation to a good patient experience and shows they trust our care.”

Being such a busy practice is a good thing, but it also can present challenges.

“It’s a good problem to have. We have a good reputation and we’re very busy. We do have a lot of patients we need to see and we don’t have enough time on our schedule,” Dr. Shamoun says. “It’s challenging to get people in as soon as possible, continue quality care and spend time with our patients, but we have a good team.”

A team, as it turns out, that is growing. Dr. Ahmed Elbanna, Dr. Alakh Gulati, Dr. Wei Lu and Dr. Soroya Rahaman will be joining the Gastroenterology of Greater Orlando staff over the next few months, ensuring the practice will continue its high quality of care.

“We’re very excited: We found some great individuals. They’re really nice people who are really smart,” Dr. Gupta says.

With those types of attributes, the new doctors will fit right in with the entire Gastroenterology of Greater Orlando team, which Dr. Sinclair boasts is one of the best.

“I have worked with many physicians, advanced practice providers (APPs), nurses and staff over the years, and this is probably the most talented and kindest group of doctors I know,” Dr. Sinclair says. “Our advanced practice providers have an incredible knowledge base and are also excellent at their jobs. Our nursing staff at the surgery center was hand-picked because of their skill, intelligence and how they demonstrate that they truly care.”

The nursing staff is just one element of the new surgical centers that make them unique, according to Dr. Gupta.

“They’re state-of-the-art gorgeous. I don’t know that there’s anything in endoscopy that looks anything like this. They’re modern, clean and beautiful,” he says.

Like the practice’s regular offices, walking into the surgical centers is “like walking into a medical spa or nice hotel,” Dr. Gupta adds. “We always want to have a different type of patient experience there.”

There’s convenience built in, too. The Orange City center is right across the street from the current offices, and the Lake Mary surgical center is in the same building.

“It makes it easy for our patients,” Dr. Shamoun says. “A lot of surgery centers are shared with other specialties, but these are just us.”

The centers are also equipped with the latest equipment that is available, which helps the team “stay on the cutting edge,” according to Dr. Gupta.

In addition to staying on top of the newest equipment, the Gastroenterology of Greater Orlando team also ensures it remains best prepared with knowing the latest advancements in the field. The team confers with one another on a daily basis and reviews journals once a month. They also regularly attend conferences.

“We stay on top of the latest and greatest,” Dr. Gupta says.

“Attending conferences and participating in ongoing education through the American Board of Internal Medicine—who does our board certifications in gastroenterology—keeps us on top of the latest developments,” Dr. Sinclair adds. “Our APPs also have their own journal club to discuss latest updates in GI. As a group, we have all trained at excellent academic centers where ongoing education is valued highly, and we bring that core value into practice as we move forward.”

Dr. Shamoun adds the Gastroenterology of Greater Orlando offices are “like an academic environment” for the team, where they can ask one another questions or for opinions at any time.

“I’m happy and proud of ourentire team and group,” he says. “We will hopefully continue to touch more lives in the best way that we can.”

Gastroenterology Center of Greater Orlando
Locations in Lake Mary, Orange City and DeLand
GreaterOrlandoGI.com