Kenneth J. Chang MD, MASGE, FACG, AGAF, FJGES
Kenneth J. Chang MD, MASGE, FACG, AGAF, FJGES
Executive Director, Digestive Health Institute
Medical Director, Chao Family Comprehensive Digestive Disease Center
Professor and Emeritus Chief, Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Vincent and Anna Kong Chair of GI Endoscopic Oncology
Founding Board Member, American Foregut Society (AFS)
Ninh T Nguyen, MD, FACS
The John E. Connolly, MD Professor and Chair
Chief of Gastrointestinal Surgery
Department of Surgery
Ninh T Nguyen, MD, FACS
The UCI Health Digestive Health Institute boasts over 50 providers, comprising expertise in foregut diseases, hepatology, oncology, pancreato-biliary diseases and colon health. Our physicians are invited to speak around the world, and have received several grants from the National Institutes of Health to support research efforts.
Our commitment to excellence has only gotten stronger, as evidenced by some of the accomplishments we share below. Please take a moment to read about the achievements of our faculty and highlights of our program.
Our faculty and staff include:
Gastroenterology:
- 23 Gastroenterologists
- 3 PAs
- 6 clinic locations
Surgery:
- 4 GI Foregut Surgeons
- 2 Hepatobiliary Surgeons (HBP)
- 5 Colorectal Surgeons
- 2 NPs
- 1 PA
- 5 clinic locations
Bariatric Physicians and Allied Health Providers:
- 3 bariatric physicians
- 1 Dietician
- 1 Social worker
In addition, we are proud to share:
- We ranked in 2023-2024 S. News & World Report High Performing Hospitals in Gastroenterology and GI Surgery, and Nationally Rated Hospital in Colon Cancer Surgery
- We received accreditation from the American College of Surgeons, the gold standard for surgical quality recognized in the following ACS quality programs: Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP)
- Our faculty was well-represented at Digestive Disease Week with 1 plenary session,1 video plenary, 1 poster video session, 4 clinical symposium talks, 10 abstracts including 1 oral presentation, and 9 poster presentations
- UCI has accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC), one of only 45 rectal cancer programs in the nation and the first in Orange County to hold this designation.
- Ninh Nguyen, Dr. Kenneth Chang and additional UCI Health faculty were leading editors in The AFS Textbook of Foregut Disease
- The 15th Annual DHI Symposium was a great success with 350 registered participants
Faculty Achievements
Gastroenterology:
- 23 Education Courses
- 46 Peer-Reviewed Articles
- 2 Book Chapters
- 44 2023 Abstracts, Oral Presentations and Plenary Presentations
- 15 Clinical Trials launched
- $1,062,459 in research awards FY 2023
Surgery:
- 86 Peer-Reviewed Articles
- 9 Book Chapters
- 42 2023 Abstracts, Oral Presentations and Plenary Presentations
- 9 Clinical Trials launched
- $1,558,631 in research awards in 2023
Gastroenterology:
- Kenneth Chang, MD – OCMA Physicians of Excellence Award, Castle Connolly Top Doctor - 25 Years , Super Doctors-Southern California Super Doctors - 25 Years, Recipient of the 2023 American Foregut Society Certificate of Fellowship
- John Lee, MD – OCMA Physicians of Excellence Award, Castle Connolly Top Doctor - 10 years
- Nimisha Parekh, MD - OCMA Physicians of Excellence Award
- Sandra Sunhee Park, MD – OCMA Physicians of Excellence Award
- Jason Samarasena, MD – OCMA Physicians of Excellence Award
Surgery:
- Joseph Carmichael, MD – OCMA Physicians of Excellence Award
- Shaun Daly, MD - Recipient of the 2023 Early Career Award by the American Foregut Society
- Oliver Eng, MD - appointed to the American Board of Surgery- Complex General Surgical Oncology Board (6-year term), SSIHI pilot study proposal awarded, co-investigator as part of Dr. Selma Masri’s lab parent R01 on Circadian Clock and Myc-dependent Regulation of Cellular Transformation received Notice of Award for an R01 Supplement, focusing on genomic instability on US-born Hispanics with colorectal cancer. Approximately $1.3 million in funding
- Marcelo W. Hinojosa, MD – OCMA Physicians of Excellence Award
- David Imagawa, MD – Earned the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Liver Health Foundation, OCMA Physicians of Excellence Award
- Steven D. Mills, MD – OCMA Physicians of Excellence Award
- Ninh Nguyen, MD - Recipient of the 2023 American Foregut Society Distinguished Service Award by the American Foregut Society, OCMA Physicians of Excellence Award
- Maheswari Senthil, MD - Named John Wayne Cancer Foundation Endowed Chair
- Skandan Shanmugan, MD - accepted to Physician Leadership course at Harvard
- Brian Smith, MD - 2024 ACS Surgeons as Leaders course nominee, OCMA Physicians of Excellence Award
- Michael Stamos, MD – OCMA Physicians of Excellence Award
- Valery Vilchez, MD - selected as AIBD (Advances in IBD) Ambassador
2023-24 News Highlights
UCI Health achieves renewal of highest level of bariatric surgery quality accreditation UCI Health Bariatric Surgery Services has achieved renewed accreditation by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBASQIP), a joint program of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Renewed designation as a Comprehensive Center with Obesity Medicine Qualifications signals that the UCI Health bariatric surgery team provides high-quality, multidisciplinary patient-centered care. The accreditation also is an affirmation of the team's commitment to ongoing quality and patient-safety improvements. "It is an honor to again receive reaccreditation by the American College of Surgeons, the gold standard for surgical quality accreditation," said Dr. Marcelo W. Hinojosa, director of UCI Health Bariatric Surgery Services, which has been designated a Comprehensive Center with Obesity Medicine Qualifications since 2007.
UCI Health expert sees colorectal cancer on the rise in younger adults Colorectal cancer, which has been on the rise in ever younger adults, is projected to become the leading cause of U.S. cancer-related deaths by 2040 among people between ages 20 to 49, according to a recent study. A parallel spike in childhood obesity may be linked, said Dr. William E. Karnes, a gastroenterologist and director of high-risk colorectal cancer services at the UCI Health Digestive Health Institute. “The rise in young-onset colorectal cancer correlates with a doubling of the prevalence of childhood obesity over the last 30 years, now affecting 20% of those under age 20,” said Karnes, who recently spoke with CNN Health about the issue.
UCI Health expert on risks of bowel obstruction after bariatric surgery
A recent report by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner concludes that Lisa Marie Presley’s death in March was the result of a small bowel obstruction caused by scarring years after weight-loss surgery. UCI Health bariatric surgeon Dr. Ninh T. Nguyen spoke to Everyday Health about the complication, which is a known risk of the procedure. Some types of the surgery come with less risk than others, he says.
In-demand weight-loss drugs are no magic bullet, UCI Health experts say The hugely popular weight-loss medications now taking the nation by storm may be highly effective, but they aren’t a "magic bullet" to cure obesity and they may pose serious health risks, say UCI Health digestive health experts. Without accompanying lifestyle changes, the pounds will likely return when Ozempic, Wegovy and other GLP-1 medications are stopped. But beyond their high cost and the likelihood of recidivism, some patients are experiencing significant side effects, says Dr. Kenneth J. Chang, executive director of the UCI Health Digestive Health Institute and an expert in endoscopic approaches to bariatric surgery.
Colorectal cancer specialist discusses little-known gene mutation linked to the disease One in 300 people have a hereditary condition called Lynch syndrome that is linked to a higher risk of colon cancer — that's more than a million people — and most don’t know they have it. “Those who test positive for it have a 60% to 80% greater chance of developing colon cancer," says Dr. William Karnes, a gastroenterologist and the director of high-risk colorectal cancer services at the UCI Health Digestive Health Institute. They also have a higher risk of ovarian, stomach, small intestine, hepatobiliary tract, upper urinary tract, brain and skin cancers. Karnes, an expert in hereditary cancers such as Lynch syndrome, told Spectrum News 1 that those who have had cancer at a young age, 50 and under, or a family history of colon or other cancers, should ask their physician to get the simple saliva-based genetic test for Lynch syndrome.