Camp
Gut Busters is
arranged by the IBD Summer Camp Foundation, a San
Francisco based 501-c(3) non-profit organization.
The camp and the foundation are the brainchild of
Dr. Melvin Heyman, Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology
Department at the UCSF Children's Hospital.
The camp is staffed by a team of physicians and nurses
specializing in IBD:
Melvin
B. Heyman, M.D., MPH
Professor of Pediatrics,
University of California, San Francisco
Pediatric Gastroenterologist
UCSF Children's Hospital
Dr.
Mel is chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology
and Nutrition at UCSF Children's Hospital. He is particularly
interested in the care of children with Inflammatory
Bowel Disease, including Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative
Colitis, and nutrition-related problems. He earned
a medical degree at UCLA and completed his pediatric
residency training at Los Angeles County-University
of Southern California Medical Center. He completed
postdoctoral training in nutrition, earning a master's
degree in public health, and completed a fellowship
in pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition at UCLA.
In 1981, he joined UCSF, where he organized the clinical
pediatric nutrition support service and established
protocols for pediatric gastroenterology.
In his research, Dr. Mel was one of the first to reveal
the importance of nutrition support in Sickle Cell
Anemia and has helped develop procedures to diagnose
problems related to the liver in infants. He has pursued
studies in the natural history and new treatments
for children with inflammatory bowel disease and gastroesophageal
reflux disease. He serves on many local and national
committees including the American Academy of Pediatrics'
Committee on Nutrition, is Chair of the American Academy
of Pediatrics' Executive Committee for the Section
on Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, and is
on the Board of the National PTA. A Professor of Pediatrics,
he is the director of the teaching program in pediatric
gastroenterology and nutrition in the School of Medicine
at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr.
Mel has been providing medical direction for the Camp
since it first began in 2001.
Laura
Bridgers, RN, MSN, CPNP
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
IBD Research Study Coordinator
UCSF Children's Hospital
Laura Bridgers, CPNP, is a Pediatric Nurse
Practitioner who joined UCSF's Pediatric Gastroenterology,
Hepatology and Nutrition department in August 2003
after spending two year in the UCSF School of Nursing
as an Assistant Clinical Professor in the MEPN program
(Masters Entry Program in Nursing). She currently
maintains an Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor
position at the UCSF School of Nursing. Laura spends
80% of her time working with children who are diagnosed
with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). An additional
20% of her time is devoted to Pediatric Gastroenterology
where you can find her in our UCSF specialty clinic
or in the outreach clinic in Santa Rosa. Her research
interests include new treatment modalities for IBD.
Laura is the newest member of the camp medical staff
and will be attending her sixth consecutive year at
camp in 2009.
Betsy
Hass-Beckert, RN, MS, PNPc
Pediatric Nurse
Practitioner
Clinical Nurse Specialist
UCSF Children's Hospital
Betsy Haas-Beckert, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
and Clinical Nurse Specialist in Pediatric Gastroenterology,
Hepatology and Nutrition is one of our Pediatric Nurse
Practitioners. She joined the UCSF Department of Pediatrics,
Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition in 1983.
Betsy spends 100% of her time in clinical practice.
She has a widespread patient base and has clinics
at UCSF, Marin, Santa Rosa, and Modesto. She participates
in the care, discharge, and family teaching of hospitalized
children. Betsy has an expertise in specialized nutritional
support, both enteral and parenteral. She is also
a lecturer in the School of Nursing, preceptor to
graduate nursing students, and participates in staff
nursing training. As a person who has also had ulcerative
colitis, she is a wonderful role model for the campers.
Betsy has been helping care for our campers since
2002.
