Pinckneyville Community Hospital is excited to announce that Dr. Tariq Hassan, Gastroenterologist (GI), has joined the medical staff.  Dr. Hassan will provide patients with the care they need from mild to severe digestive issues.  He specializes in understanding how gastrointestinal organs move material through the stomach and intestines, digest food, absorb nutrients, and remove waste—and what to do when the system isn’t working. 

Dr. Hassan treats a wide range of disorders of the digestive system including Acid Reflux (GERD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Diverticulitis, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohns Disease, Ulcers of the stomach and intestine (Peptic Ulcer Disease), Pancreatitis, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.

Dr. Hassan said, “Patients with symptoms of heartburn, difficulty swallowing, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, change in bowel habits, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, vomiting blood or passing blood in stool should call for an evaluation.” 

Colon cancer does not cause any symptoms in early stages and when symptoms like blood in stool, abdominal pain and weight loss occur, cancer can have spread making treatment and cure difficult. Most people (80%) do not have polyps and only need to have a colonoscopy every 10 years. People with polyps and those with first degree family members like parents or siblings with colon cancer should have a colonoscopy every 5 years.

Dr. Hassan recommends that both men and women, at age 50 years, should have a colonoscopy to help remove small tumors, called polyps, that can otherwise develop into colon cancer. Colonoscopies are covered by Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance, and most patients can set one up even if they don't have a primary care doctor.

Dr. Tariq Hassan is Board Certified by American Board of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology.  He completed his Gastroenterology fellowship training at Beth Israel-Deaconess Hospital , Harvard Medical School , Boston , Massachusetts in 1996. Dr Tariq Hassan has been providing gastroenterology services in North county since 1999.

Randall Dauby, CEO at Pinckneyville Community Hospital stated, “We are glad to bring the expertise of Dr. Hassan to the area to provide a valuable and much needed medical service.  I encourage those individuals experiencing any GI issues or to be proactive in preventing future heath issue, make an appointment with Dr. Hassan.”

Dr. Hassan is currently accepting new patients at the Family Medical Center at the Pinckneyville Community Hospital.  For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 618-357-2131.