Gastroenterologist Heidi V. Huck, MD, brings 23 years of clinical experience in caring for people’s digestive health needs as she joins the medical team at Sarah Bush Lincoln.
Dr. Huck has extensive experience in all aspects of gastroenterology care and is highly skilled in performing many endoscopic procedures including colonoscopy and polyp removal. A strong advocate for colon cancer prevention, “It’s extremely rewarding to save someone from an early death from colon cancer by simply removing polyps before they become cancer– that is a gift,” she said.
However, she is also sensitive to people’s fears and concerns about having the procedure. “I see people just to discuss their concerns because the best screening test is the one that the patient will do,” she said. While colonoscopy offers treatment at the same time, there are other viable screening options, she said.
Dr. Huck makes it a priority is to create a comfortable and stress free environment in which to listen to her patients. This allows her to fully understand the individual needs of every person, and provide them with the best possible care. “My job is to listen first, taking clues in order to make an accurate diagnosis and then generate a feasible plan for care,” she said. “You have to be very tuned in to the patient to understand their clinical course and what treatment will have the best impact.”
With a special interest in colon cancer detection, GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), and women’s health issues, she is excited about expanding services at Sarah Bush Lincoln.
Dr. Huck received a BA in psychology from Yale University in 1979 and then spent a year teaching English in Taiwan and traveling the Orient before entering medical school. The experience “gave me the courage to enroll in medical school and become a doctor,” she said.
After working in research and taking night classes upon returning home, she enrolled in the Medical College of Virginia where she received her medical degree in1986. She completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at Michael Reese Medical Center in Chicago and completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics.
Dr. Huck also served as an assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Chicago for 17 years before joining Great Lakes Digestive Health Associates in Petoskey, MI, in 2008. She has been practicing gastroenterology since 1991 and is board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology.
Dr. Huck is excited to join fellow gastroenterologists Alexis Ayonote, MD, and Micheal Uzer, MD, at Sarah Bush Lincoln. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Huck, call Gastroenterology and Special Procedures at (217) 258-4155.