It can sometimes feel overwhelming, to navigate your healthcare journey when faced with illness, appointment backlogs and other difficult circumstances. It’s a struggle many Americans know well, and an unfortunate situation many often face when choosing a health care provider. Riverview Health has been on a journey of its own, working to expand health care options so that patients can make informed and confident decisions.
To help support these goals and expand gastroenterology and digestive surgical services, Riverview Health has broken ground on their new Westfield Endoscopy Center.
Dr. Timothy Imler MD, FACG, will be among the four experienced medical practitioners set to make the Westfield Endoscopy Center their new home. Joined by gastroenterologists Dr. Bohm and Dr. Sagi, and colorectal surgeon Dr. Kawak, Dr. Imler brings a wealth of knowledge and believes the new facility will help provide more timely procedures to an area in great need.
“Access to high-quality gastroenterology consultation and endoscopic procedures has been limited in our region with wait times between three and six months,” he says. “At Riverview Health we are able to provide consultation services and endoscopic procedures within weeks, and with the addition of this surgical facility, we will provide even more timely, high-quality care convenient to where people live.”
Imler chose to practice gastroenterology to help patients get the preventative screenings needed to save lives. A highly preventable disease, colon cancer is often identified and mitigated during colonoscopy procedures. With cancer rates as high as one in 24 men and one in 24 women, he hopes Hamilton County will soon be able to boast one of the lowest rates of colon cancer in the country.
“I am a second-generation physician who dreamed of caring for patients since I was a small child observing patients with my father,” he says. “I love serving my fellow members of the community with a passion towards helping to care for their needs. Endoscopy, and particularly colonoscopy can be a lifesaving procedure.”
The new center is currently planned for completion in early fall. This addition will repurpose the 11,500-square-foot primary-care space into an endoscopy facility where patients will have access to the latest technology and medical practitioners with a combined experience of more than 40 years. The Westfield Endoscopy Center will be conveniently located at the corners of highways 31 and 32 to serve the residents of Hamilton County and beyond.
“The endoscopy center will employ state-of-the-art technology in the endoscopy equipment, facilities and preparation techniques,” Imler says. “The goal is to be the right size, with the right care, right here in Hamilton County.”
Patients will gain expanded access to consultation services, endoscopic procedures, and surgical intervention when necessary. Additionally, the goal is to make patients feel as comfortable as possible to eliminate fear and uncertainty commonly associated with these types of procedures.
“Riverview offers high-quality services in a manner that makes patients feel as if they are being treated like family,” Imler says. “‘Compassionate care. For life.’ encapsulates what we are able to provide and offer to the Hamilton County community.”
Even though the Westfield Endoscopy Center won’t be completed until fall of this year, Imler reminds local residents that Riverview already offers reasonable wait times for colonoscopy and endoscopy services, serving patients in as few as seven days, compared to other central Indiana health systems that currently can have wait times of several months.
“We know how stressful waiting can be for patients,” Imler says. “That’s why Riverview has added staff and procedure slots to ensure we offer patients shorter wait times and faster results.”
Imler chose to join the Riverview Health team because of their smaller size, adoption of cutting-edge technology and compassionate approach, all of which help to better prepare patients for a painless and comfortable process.
The new facility will be located on the sixth floor of the Westfield hospital, located at 17600 Shamrock Boulevard.
“Look for many new and beneficial offerings in the future as we continue to grow our services for the region and our fellow Hoosiers,” says Imler.
