AHN to Host ‘College IBD Day’ at Allegheny General Hospital on July 29th

Half-day program for students with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to provide helpful tips for managing the chronic condition throughout the upcoming academic year

PITTSBURGH – Preparing for life away from home as a college student can be daunting, particularly if you are living with a chronic condition like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. That’s why Allegheny Health Network’s Center for IBD, part of the AHN Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, is pleased to offer a free, educational program at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) this summer for students with IBD who are heading to college next fall.

AHN’s 5^th annual College IBD Day will be held on Friday, July 29 from 8am-1pm in AGH’s Magovern Conference Center. The event is free to attend and includes breakfast, lunch and a complimentary parking voucher. College-age individuals with a diagnosis of IBD may register to attend at www.ahn.org/events.

Specialists from the AHN Center for IBD will present sessions on stress management, tips for maintaining proper nutrition on a budget, ways to stay connected to your gastroenterologist throughout the school year, and more. Former students will share their own experiences of managing IBD, and attendees will have the opportunity to talk with their AHN physician and network with other participants.

According to the CDC, more than 3 million U.S. adults have been diagnosed with IBD. Marked by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, those with IBD often experience symptoms such as persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain and fatigue. Most people who develop IBD are diagnosed in their 20s and 30s, making it particularly difficult for patients who are in their formative years.

“Going off to college is often one of the most exciting times in a young person’s life. For those students in our region who are living with IBD, our goal is to equip them with the information and health resources needed for successful disease management so that they can focus on and enjoy life as college students,” said Sandra El-Hachem, MD, director, AHN Center for IBD. 

The AHN Center for IBD takes a team-based approach to patient care, employing the expertise of a range of leading specialists in gastroenterology, nutrition, behavioral health and colorectal surgery to create individualized treatment plans. The center’s state-of-the-art clinical capabilities include an interventional IBD endoscopy program that is one of only a few of its kind in the country for the nonsurgical management of IBD and other digestive orders.

To learn more about gastroenterology services at AHN, visit www.ahn.org/gastroenterology.

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