CHICAGO, Jan. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Northwestern Medicine^® is pleased to announce the appointment of Scott A. Strong, MD, as chief of the Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and surgical director of the Digestive Health Center. Strong will serve in partnership with Stephen B. Hanauer, MD, who is the medical director of the Digestive Health Center, to help develop the center's clinical, research and educational initiatives. In addition, Strong was appointed as the James R. Hines, MD, Professor of Surgery at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

"I am very excited to be part of Northwestern Medicine and to help lead the Digestive Health Center," said Strong. "I am looking to forward to helping further the mission of the center to improve patient care through a collaborative multidisciplinary approach."

The Northwestern Medicine Digestive Health Center offers a unique approach to treating difficult gastrointestinal issues by offering access to teams of specialists that include behavioral health psychologists, dieticians, gastroenterologists, hepatologists, medical weight management physicians, oncologists, radiologists and surgeons, to identify a personalized treatment plan for every patient. 

Strong came to Northwestern Medicine from the Cleveland Clinic where he was a surgeon in the Department of Colorectal Surgery since 1992 and won several awards, including the Premier Physician Award from the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America's Northeast Ohio Chapter. He also worked internationally with Cleveland Clinic, as the Chief Medical Officer (2007-2008) and Chief Executive Officer (2008-2009) at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

"Dr. Strong is a very accomplished gastrointestinal surgeon, educator and leader, and we are happy to have him as part of our team," said Nathaniel Soper, MD, Chief of Surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Chair of the Department of Surgery at the Feinberg School of Medicine. "His clinical expertise, background in education and strong leadership experience make him ideally suited to co-direct the Digestive Health Center and lead the Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery in providing the best care possible for our patients."

Strong received his medical degree from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in 1985. He completed his general surgery residency at Michigan State University – Butterworth Hospital, and went on to complete a residency in colorectal surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, where he became a staff colorectal surgeon in 1992. During his time at the Cleveland Clinic, Strong also took on additional appointments in the Departments of Immunology and Pathobiology.

Throughout his career, Strong has published extensively on gastrointestinal topics that include colorectal surgery quality, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Among his many professional affiliations, Strong is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, and is a member of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America and the American Gastroenterological Association.

To schedule an appointment with Strong, call (312) 695-6868 or visit digestivehealth.nm.org.

About Northwestern Medicine®
Northwestern Medicine® is the collaboration between Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine around a strategic vision to transform the future of healthcare. It encompasses the research, teaching and patient care activities of the academic medical center. Sharing a commitment to superior quality, academic excellence and patient safety, the organizations within Northwestern Medicine comprise more than 9,000 clinical and administrative staff, 3,100 medical and science faculty and 700 students. The entities involved in Northwestern Medicine remain separate organizations. Northwestern Medicine is a trademark of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and is used by Northwestern University.

About Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Northwestern Memorial is one of the country's premier academic medical center hospitals and is the primary teaching hospital of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Along with its Prentice Women's Hospital and Stone Institute of Psychiatry, the hospital has 1,705 affiliated physicians and 6,769 employees. Northwestern Memorial is recognized for providing exemplary patient care and state-of-the art advancements in the areas of cardiovascular care; women's health; oncology; neurology and neurosurgery; solid organ and soft tissue transplants and orthopaedics.

Northwestern Memorial has nursing Magnet Status, the nation's highest recognition for patient care and nursing excellence. Northwestern Memorial ranks 10^th in the nation in the U.S. News & World Report 2014-15 Honor Roll of America's Best Hospitals. The hospital is recognized in 14 of 16 clinical specialties rated by U.S. News and is No. 1 in Illinois and Chicago in U.S. News' 2014-15 state and metro rankings, respectively. For 14 years running, Northwestern Memorial has been rated among the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" guide by Working Mother magazine. The hospital is a recipient of the prestigious National Quality Health Care Award and has been chosen by Chicagoans as the Consumer Choice according to the National Research Corporation's annual survey for 15 consecutive years.

SOURCE Northwestern Medicine

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