Gastroenterologist Dr. Mick Meiselman Joins Sansum Clinic

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April 16, 2024 (Santa Barbara, CA) Sansum Clinic, now part of Sutter Health, is pleased to welcome Dr. Mick Meiselman, a board-certified and fellowship-trained gastroenterologist with extensive training and expertise in endoscopic ultrasound, to the organization. 

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) allows doctors to view, evaluate and better diagnose conditions in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, esophagus, stomach, and nearby organs like the pancreas and liver. Dr. Meiselman uses an endoscope with a scanning probe on the end to see through layers of the digestive tract, providing a more highly detailed view than traditional ultrasound. EUS can detect the type and location of cancer, pancreatitis, gallstones, cysts and other causes of painful symptoms. It is also used to assess the size of tumors and take tissue samples for biopsies which assist in pinpointing cancer in areas of the abdomen that are often difficult to see.

“EUS is more accurate care that actually saves patients time and money in the long run,“ explains Dr. Meiselman. “The latest advances in the use of EUS are safe, effective and minimally-invasive, and they keep patients from unneeded exploratory surgeries.” In addition to using EUS to drain or inject fluids, Dr. Meiselman predicts that its therapeutic applications will be the future for this modality. The EUS procedure typically takes between 30 and 40 minutes, and is performed at Cottage Hospital where Dr. Meiselman is director of its Advanced Endoscopy Program.  

“Before recruiting Dr. Meiselman to Sansum Clinic, patients had to travel hours from Santa Barbara to receive this state-of-the-art imaging,” commented Dr. Kurt Ransohoff, President, Sutter Health Greater Central Coast Market. “Dr. Meiselman offers a valuable service to our community, and his hiring is a great example of how our partnership with Sutter Health further elevates the level of care and access we provide.”

In his role, Dr. Meiselman will be working with Clinic and community gastroenterologists, surgeons, oncologists and doctors when they notice areas of concern in another form of imaging like a CT or MRI, or they have patients with gastrointestinal symptoms which require further investigation. Dr. Meiselman’s coordination with the team at Ridley-Tree Cancer Center will further improve the specialty oncology care provided to its patients. “For many years, I have collaborated with Dr. Meiselman because I believe strongly in the benefits EUS brings to the diagnosis and management of cancer,” says Dr. W. Charles Conway II, surgical oncologist at Ridley-Tree Cancer Center. “Having access to EUS locally is a tremendous win for patients. This enhances our comprehensive program to care for people with gastrointestinal malignancies, right here on the Central Coast. ”

Dr. Meiselman is a fellow with the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), serves as its Foundation Treasurer, and has served as a faculty member for its provided medical coursework. (ASGE physicians have highly-specialized training in endoscopic procedures of the digestive tract, and promote the highest standards for endoscopic training and practice.) Dr. Meiselman earned his medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School, and is board certified in gastroenterology and internal medicine. He completed his residency at Cedars-Sinai Hospital/UCLA, and his gastroenterology fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. His previous positions include Director of Therapeutic Endoscopy for Dignity Health in San Luis Obispo, CA, and Chief of Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy for the NorthShore University HealthSystem in Chicago.   

Sansum Clinic, now part of Sutter Health, is the leading nonprofit provider of high-quality, outpatient healthcare on the Central Coast. Both Sansum and Sutter share a century-long commitment to improving the health of their communities, and have embarked upon this partnership to shape the future of healthcare for those they serve. Sansum Clinic’s 200+ highly-trained doctors and compassionate staff of 1,200+ care for more than 125,000 individual patients per year, contributing significantly to the medical quality in Santa Barbara, which has a long history of being advanced despite its small size.