Spotlight Series

Guest Name: Dr. Christine Hachem

Credentials:  MD Intermountain Sandy

Dr. Christine Hachem: I’ll take it all.

Dr. Betty DeLass: I I I tried really hard. I even practiced beforehand, guys. Um and um we’re so thankful that she’s here with us to share her expertise in gastroenterology. And um before we get started, I’m going to read her bio just so everyone knows who she is, what she’s about, and we’ll jump into all the questions that we have. So, thank you so much for being on with us.

Dr. Christine Hachem: Thank you.

Dr. Betty DeLass: All right. Dr. Christine graduated Summa Cum Laude from Rice University in Biology and earned her medical degree with honors from Baylor College of Medicine. She completed her internal medicine training at Washington University and a gastroenterology fellowship at St. Louis University where she later became a professor of medicine. An active member of the American College of Gastroenterology, Dr. Hachem was elected Missouri Governor for the organization and has been consider consistently recognized as a top gastroenterologist. Board certified in gastroenterology. I’m get having to get all these words out of my mouth here. She specializes in if esophageal disease, motility disorders, and cystic fibrosis. She has extensive research experience in numerous publications. um now based in Utah, which we’re so thankful to have you here. Um she enjoys exploring the outdoors with her family, including her two children and their dog. She is dedicated to the community service and mentoring the next generation of medical professions. I love that. Thank you so much for all that you do already.

Dr. Christine Hachem: Thank you so much. Thanks for having me.

Dr. Betty DeLass: Absolutely. Okay, we’ll jump into those questions without further ado and kind of walk us through like what made you decide to be in gastroenterology and what got you down this path?

Dr. Christine Hachem: I well first of all I love to eat and so I don’t like for anybody to have any disturbances with being able to eat right so whether they can’t swallow they can’t go to the bathroom they have belly pain I feel like that’s my mission is to help people enjoy life so that is kind of the the main reason but I you know GI is fascinating if someone if you listen to someone and they tell you their story you can really get so much about what’s going on in them physiologically just by listening to them uh GI also has the ability to really have uh you can take care of acute emergencies, but you can also have really great relationships with your patients. So, it’s a good mix for me.

Dr. Betty DeLass: I love that. That’s so awesome. Very similar um feel and and clinical ethos that that we have here at Reborn, too. So, Kate, um walk us through what makes you different from one GI doc to the next GI doc to the next. Like why what’s what’s different and special about you, the way you treat the patients you see, the procedures you do? Talk talk us through that.

Dr. Christine Hachem: I had a really great mentor uh when I was training who really taught me the importance of listening to the patient and being empathic. Um and so I feel like that uh colors a lot of how I teach and how I practice medicine. Also I have been in academics for about 20 years. So I have that perspective. Not a lot of people have transitioned to community practice but also have had that experience of really training and teaching future gastroenterologists uh probably as well as other uh physicians and specialties. So I think that really um gives me a different vantage point when I see my patients.

Dr. Betty DeLass: Totally. Totally love that. Okay, talk to us about who’s an ideal fit for you. Obviously everyone eats, but like who are your favorite patients to treat? What are the ones that you’re like, “Oh, I can’t wait to help them feel better.” And and so walk us through who’s who’s your ideal patient and clientele, who should come see you?

Dr. Christine Hachem: I mean, that’s that’s a trick question because I feel like everyone is an ideal patient, right? Um I think anyone that wants that wants help and that is looking for an answer, um you know, even if the answer is we don’t know, I think sometimes they need to hear that, right? Uh that there’s still a lot that medicine can uh is developing and and learning. uh and I will learn with the patient. I I think an ideal patient is someone that wants someone to listen to them and uh has experience uh in treating complicated uh cases. So I think I’m I’m used to also patients that have seen other physicians who um are still looking for answers as well as those patients that haven’t seen a gastroenterologist. So I think really I’ll take anybody. Um I’m really I think it’s a gift to be able to help patients. So, if they’re looking for help, I think they’re an ideal patient for me.

Dr. Betty DeLass: Amazing. Amazing. Okay. Walk us through what the process to to work with you looks like. Is it obviously you need an appointment? And um do you need a referral? Do they just schedule on you? How far booked out are you? And then what does that initial consultation look like? And what can they expect when they come in? Sure.

Dr. Christine Hachem: Um you know, it varies in terms of how far we’re booked out, but we can always get patients in if there’s some urgency to it. Um, so I think uh being your best advocate to get yourself in or your speaking to your referring physician. Usually as a specialist we do require referral or insurances require referral. I don’t require anything. So it’s really insurance dependent. Um well we actually see patients who have no insurance to patients who have private or Medicare or Medicaid. Um so we see all patients. Um but I think insurance usually requires referral. Um I I see patients we have um a team in our clinic. So we have advanced practice providers that see patients as well. Uh but if there’s a a specific request from me um you certainly can see me in the clinic. I like I said I I think the the important part is listening to the patient uh and their story and their goals, right? To help to to achieve those goals for them. Um and depending on that I can decide if there’s more testing that’s needed. Not always do patients need more testing, right? A lot of times when they’ve seen me, they’ve already had 8 million tests. So, sometimes it’s not more tests. Um, and hopefully it’s more answers and and opportunity to help them feel better.

Dr. Betty DeLass: Yeah. Can you talk about what types of procedures you do and and what types of imaging or anything that you would order for them? Like if someone’s like, “Oh, I know I need to get this.” And they’d be like, “Oh, this is the person that would be able to help me with that.”

Dr. Christine Hachem: Sure. I think one of the special satellite tests that we do provide that not a lot of the community does uh is the anorectal manometry. So that really helps us further define what’s causing patients problems with constipation. So uh we obviously do we can do testing to figure out uh why someone’s having constipation whether it’s slow transit or pelvic floor outlet obstruction. Uh but I think that test that we offer in clinic uh is uh really a special test that not everyone has and it really helps our physical therapists partners um in terms of helping um uh define what is going on when they’re trying to have a bowel movement as well as for treatment. So I think that’s a great test that we have available.

Dr. Betty DeLass: Amazing. Thank you. Um, and then what is something that most people don’t know but that you think that they should know about your practice, your profession, what you can do to help people with?

Dr. Christine Hachem: Um, I think people think that the physician has all the answers, but I think um, it’s really a team approach, right? So, and I think um from my front desk to my medical assistant to our amazing nurses that do the anorectal manometry procedure to the physical therapists that we work with, it’s a I I love medicine and I love GI because it really is a team approach. I don’t know if everyone knows that. I think they come to the doctor asking for an answer and I think the doctor is going to get provide the answer, but sometimes it’s the physical therapist that provides uh the the treatment and um and the answer actually.

Dr. Betty DeLass: Yeah, totally. I agree 100%. It’s very collaborative being able to cross over and know who who specializes in what and work together collaborative so the patient wins.

Dr. Christine Hachem: Yes, absolutely. I agree.

Dr. Betty DeLass: Yeah. Kate, is there anything special that you want to promote? Is there any upcoming events or seminars or workshops or something regarding health that you like just want to promote of like food is good? It could be simple like that. Whatever you’d like to this is your platform to say whatever you want right now.

Dr. Christine Hachem: Now obviously March is colon cancer screening awareness month. So I will promote colon cancer screening however you want to do it. Um but uh you know at this time we’re still growing our anorectal manometry program and our pelvic floor program uh working with our partners such as your uh your group. So um I think uh keep uh staying in touch with us and there’ll be more to come.

Dr. Betty DeLass: Awesome. So great. Okay. And then um this is my favorite question that I ask everyone on the spotlight series is what is the main thing that you want to be known for?

Dr. Christine Hachem: Wow. I think that’s a tough question. I want to be known for being compassionate physician, you know. Um I think that and and being able to have a connection with my patients is really important to me as a people person.

Dr. Betty DeLass: Yes. Same speaking from the same heart here. Love it. Okay, thank you so much for being on our spotlight series. Thank you for everything that you’re doing for our community. Thank you for your partnership with patients. It’s just been a pleasure to have you on our spotlight series and we think very highly of you and love having you in in our back pocket for patient care. So, thank you so much.

Dr. Christine Hachem: You too. So, you guys have been amazing partners as well.