Drs. Bohning and Breslin named to Philadelphia magazine Top Doctors™ 2021To My Patients and Colleagues:
As many of you have heard, I am retiring from Bucks County Gastroenterology Associates at the end of 2019. I want to thank all of you for entrusting me with your care and that of your patients for the last 35 years. It has been both an honor and a privilege which I took very seriously.
Throughout the years we have shared many ups and downs but I have always tried to provide you with the highest quality care possible. I have mixed emotions about retiring but after so many years, it is time to start working on my "bucket list" and spending more time with my family and enjoying my grandchildren. I am very comforted knowing that I am leaving all of you in extremely competent hands with my partners, Drs. Breslin, Rafelson, Bohning and Mekapati.
Thank you to all of my patients who have reached out to me. Your kind words mean more than you will ever know.
Warmest Regards,
David A. Popper, M.D.
The distinguished career of Dr. Popper was honored at a celebration dinner December 8, 2019. For more than 35 years Dr. Popper has provided outstanding care to the patients of Bucks County and beyond. Many current and former colleagues, family and friends were on hand to join all of us at Bucks County Gastroenterology Associates in congratulating Dr. Popper on an meaningful, distinguished career, and wishing him a very happy retirement. While his legacy will be difficult to follow, we are all dedicated to continuing his level of compassion and care, and providing the best care possible to the patients of Bucks County.
Dr. Bohning was interviewed on June 26 about colon cancer screening for Saint Mary Health Line, a weekly program broadcast on WBCB 1490AM. During the interview he discusses colon cancer screening, prevention, signs and symptoms of colon cancer and dispels some rumors about colon cancer and colon cancer screening.
Listen to the interview here.
Posted April 16th, 2019
Colon cancer in young people has been on the rise recently. While still overall low in incidence, the rates of colon cancer has been on the rise in people under the age of 50. Because of this alarming trend the American Cancer Society issued new guidance for colon cancer screening in June, 2018 advising starting colon cancer screening for ALL patients starting at age 45. This position was supported by the president of the American Gastroenterological Association, though the main GI societies have not updated their guidelines pending further study.
Most insurance companies, however, have not recognized the newer guidelines until now. Aetna recently updated its policy to recommend colon cancer screening for all patients starting at age 45. Hopefully all insurers will follow suit and recognize the importance of colon cancer screening starting at an earlier age, possibly halting this disturbing trend of increasing colon cancer rates in young people.
Bucks County GI Associates was recently awarded the 2018 Community GI Service Award by the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Popper attended the annual dinner in June at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received this distinction on behalf of BCGI for providing outstanding local GI care to the community.
Bucks County GI Associates was the featured practice in the Fall 2018 Edition of Bucks/Montgomery Physician Magazine, the quarterly publication of the Bucks County Medical Society. The article details the physicians and history of BCGI, services provided, and what we do as a practice to provide the best available GI care to the community. Read the full article here.
Drs. J. Matthew Bohning and Kenneth S. Breslin are proud members of Bucks County Gastroenterology Associates. Along with Drs. David Popper, Stephen Rafelson and Jyothi Mekapati they have provided skilled, compassionate, and comprehensive inpatient and outpatient GI care to the community for more than 25 years.
Both Drs. Bohning and Breslin serve in physician leadership roles at St. Mary Medical Center, Dr. Bohning as an officer on the Medical Executive Committee and Dr. Breslin as Chief of Gastroenterology. They maintain an academic faculty appointment and have interests in advanced biliary endoscopy, general gastroenterology and hepatology.
Visit Philadelphia magazine Top Doctors™ 2018 to view the entire list.
Colonoscopy Saves Lives
Colon cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the Unites States, with 136,000 new cases diagnosed each year. The odds of developing colon cancer in your lifetime is 1 in 20. Having a colonoscopy with removal of pre-cancerous polyps reduces that cancer risk by 90%! Colonoscopy should be considered a colon cancer prevention test, not just to detect cancer at an early stage. For people at average risk of cancer (without family history of colon cancer or polyps) screening colonoscopy should start at age 50 (45 for African Americans). Talk with your physician about colon cancer screening, and make sure you are not one of the almost 23 million people in America who have not had colon cancer screening. Visit http://patients.gi.org/topics/colorectal-cancer/ for more information.
Hemorrhoid Treatment Now Available
Bucks County GI Associates is now proud to offer the CRH O’Regan System for the treatment of hemorrhoids. CRH O'Regan Hemorrhoid Treatment.
BCGI Celebrates Employee Milestones
Bucks County GI Associates recently celebrated the retirement of Alice Martine and Terri Miller’s 20 years of service.
Alice ("Al") worked at BCGI from the inception of the practice, then the Endoscopy Center of Bucks County (ECBC) for a total of 25 years. Over the course of her career as an endoscopy nurse she impacted countless lives, both professionally and personally, with her genuine caring, empathy and professionalism she displayed to patients and colleagues. She will be greatly missed at the endoscopy center, but the effect she has had on everyone will always be with us.
Terri Miller has been with BCGI for 20 years, working tirelessly as office manager. Her amazing dedication and skill have been instrumental in keeping BCGI a fun and efficient place to work. Her contributions to the practice over the years are immeasurable, and are greatly appreciated.
Patient Portal now available for patients of Bucks County GI Associates
Bucks County Gastroenterology Associates, PC has created a secure patient portal for your convenience. The patient portal is a secure and convenient way to communicate with our office and access portions of your medical record. The portal is available at any time, allows you to bypass the phone system, and communicate with us at your convenience.
Congratulations to Bucks County Gastroenterology on accepting the 2013 Super Service Award for the second year in a row!Bucks County Gastroenterology Associates has been awarded the Angie’s List Super Service Award for 2012 and 2013. This exclusive recognition is given annually to approximately the top 5% of service companies who achieve and maintain a superior service rating on Angie’s List throughout the year. You can read reviews of Bucks County GI submitted to Angie’s List at angieslist.com.
Dr. Bohning serves as co-Principal Investigator in PATHWAY trial
Dr. Bohning is participating in the Pivotal Aspiration Therapy With Adjusted Lifestyle Therapy Study (PATHWAY) with Aspire Bariatrics as co-Principal Investigator at St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, PA. This study is investigating the safety and efficacy of a novel minimally invasive device for weight loss in morbidly obese patients. For more information and contact information visit Saint Mary Medical Center clinical trials website For additional information visit Aspire Bariatrics , and the FDA Clinical Trial Website
Dr. Popper and Bohning participated in the “Get Your Rear In Gear” 10k held in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia March 17, 2013. The Colon Cancer Coalition oversees Get Your Rear in Gear races across the country which increase awareness, raise funds and provide support for those whose lives have been affected by colon cancer. See the article from the Philadelphia Inquirer for more information about the race and support for Colon Cancer Awareness Both Drs. Popper and Bohning are avid runners and had a fantastic time, with Dr. Popper finishing first in his group!
Bravo Wireless pH monitoring is now available!
Ambulatory pH monitoring provides information about the duration, pattern and symptom correlation of distal esophageal acid exposure from gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). This information is very useful in diagnosing GERD in patients with atypical symptoms (chronic cough, laryngitis, chest pain among others) and assessing response to medications in patients with known GERD.
Dr. Bohning co-authored a book chapter with renowned esophagologist Dr. Joel Richter entitled "GERD and cough: An evidence-based approach to diagnosis and treatment" in the recently published textbook Extraesophageal Reflux edited by Michael Vaezi, M.D, PhD.
Now accepting all major insurance plans, including Aetna! In order to provide expanded care to our community we now accept all major insurance plans, including Aetna. Please call the Yardley office at (215) 321-7221 for more information or to schedule an appointment at one of our locations.
Dr
. Bohning co-authored a book chapter with renowned esophagologist Dr. Joel Richter entitled "GERD and cough: An evidence-based approach to diagnosis and treatment" in the recently published textbook Extraesophageal Reflux edited by Michael Vaezi, M.D, PhD. The chapter details the pathophysiology of GERD and cough, available diagnostic studies, critically reviews all recent literature, and provides evidenced-based guidelines for physicians to help navigate the sometimes unclear association between GERD and extraesophagel symptoms.
Now accepting all major insurance plans, including Aetna! In order to provide expanded care to our community we now accept all major insurance plans, including Aetna. Please call the Yardley office at (215) 321-7221 for more information or to schedule an appointment at our Yardley locations.
J. Matthew Bohning, MD
Dr. Bohning joins Dr. Breslin as the only physicians to provide ERCP care to the community. Dr. Bohning joined BCGI in July 2008 and also has special interests in esophageal, pancreatic and biliary disorders. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Gastroenterology at Temple University Hospital. Dr. Bohning graduated from Temple University School of Medicine after completing his pre-medical coursework in the University of Pennsylvania’s Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Med Program. Dr. Bohning received additional training during his fellowship in interventional ERCP, a specialized endoscopic procedure dealing with the biliary tract and its diseases. Dr. Bohning published several articles and abstracts on GERD, gastric motility and esophageal varices during his training. Most recently, he co-authored a book chapter on the relationship of GERD and Cough. While having interests in esophageal and pancreatobiliary disorders, Dr. Bohning treats all gastrointestinal and liver diseases.
Jyothi Mekapati, MD
Dr. Mekapati will join BCGI in October 2008 as the only female gastroenterologist on staff at St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, PA, and one of the few female gastroenterologists in Bucks County. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in Gastroenterology at Temple University Hospital. In addition, Dr. Mekapati finished a year of additional training in gastrointestinal motility diseases, utilizing high resolution manometry and BRAVO wireless pH monitoring, and has published articles on esophageal pH and varices. Dr. Mekapati graduated from PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, India before completing her training at Temple University Hospital. Dr. Mekapati has interest in reflux and esophageal disorders but treats all gastrointestinal and liver diseases.
The launch of our new web site! - Our site has a wealth of information for patients about our practice, procedures, and common GI diseases. We hope you find the information here helpful!
This section contains information pertaining to common GI conditions, diseases, procedures and treatments.
