Brooklyn’s largest gastroenterology practice has expanded to Bay Ridge with a brand-new office.
Gastroenterology Associates of Brooklyn cut the ribbon this month on the Bay Ridge Women’s Center and S.E.R.A. Wellness Center at 9921 4th Ave. With a dozen doctors board-certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology, Gastroenterology Associates of Brooklyn offers treatment for a range of GI issues – from heartburn and food allergies to colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.
Dr. Kayane Hanna-Hindy said the practice prides itself both on its medical know-how and its diversity.
“Not only are we the largest private GI practice in Brooklyn, I really feel like we’re the United Nations of Brooklyn,” she said. “We are all from different backgrounds, from Middle Eastern backgrounds to Caribbean to European to American to Canadian.”
The providers at Gastroenterology Associates of Brooklyn speak many languages, including Spanish, Russian, Arabic, and Hebrew — meaning they can treat and connect with the diverse populations that make up Brooklyn.
Hanna-Hind was born in Bay Ridge and lived with her parents in Lebanon for a time before returning to Brooklyn and trained at SUNY Downstate. She was initially based out of the practice’s Brooklyn Heights office, and is excited to work in the new Bay Ridge location — especially since she grew up in the nabe.
“Not only is it reflecting all of us, giving the care to such a diverse community, it’s quite an inclusive practice, and that’s important to us, to have that inclusivity,” she said.
In addition to being board certified in multiple fields of practice, many of the doctors at Gastroenterology Associates of Brooklyn teach medicine at local colleges and are actively involved in research, Hanna-Hindy said.
“We like to constantly expand our knowledge and provide the most updated care to our patients,” she explained.
The doc said she feels providers at many large practices — especially those associated with hospital systems — are forced to compromise the quality of their care in order to meet patient quotas and mandatory appointment times.
“[Patients] need the compassion, they need the care that I feel most of these practitioners who have been in private settings couldn’t sustain,” she said. “There’s no question there’s a compromise of care there. That’s where we step in.”
While the compassionate, skilled care at the new office is the same, it also offers something new — the S.E.R.A. Wellness Center.
The Wellness Center is almost an “extension” of the care offered at the Women’s Center and at the practice’s other locations, Hanna-Hindy said, with resources specifically for obesity and weight loss.
Many of the patients at Gastroenterology Associates of Brooklyn are dealing with fatty liver disease or other conditions associated with obesity – and some come in specifically for weight-loss consultations, she said.
At the Wellness Center, patients can consult with doctors on how to lose weight and maintain their new weight — as well as talk with a nutritionist about the best approach for weight loss.
Many patients who embark on a weight loss program end up with a deficiency in certain vitamins and minerals, Hanna-Hindy said, so the Center offers IV drips and supplements to keep them fully healthy.
“We fix the inside, we get them to lose the weight and feel well, and then on the outside a little bit of extra cosmetics,” she said.
Correction 6/6/24, 1:22 p.m.: This story previously said Hanna-Hindy was born in Lebanon. We regret the error.
