As an academic health science centre, Sinai Health fosters a culture where everyone is a learner. We believe that the combination of energy, fresh thinking and knowledge transfer is a reciprocal relationship that benefits the hospital, the student – and ultimately our patients.
As an academic health science centre, Sinai Health fosters a culture where everyone is a learner. We believe that the combination of energy, fresh thinking and knowledge transfer is a reciprocal relationship that benefits the hospital, the student – and ultimately our patients.
Jami Baker has been battling symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease since university.
In Canada, the number of people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) will increase rapidly in the next decade. IBD inflames the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and according to Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, it impacts over 320,000 people in Canada.
Jami Baker is one of these Canadians. The 36-year-old mom of two started having IBD symptoms when she went away for university. Four years later, she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and experienced many ups and downs, including a flare-up in 2015 that left her in the hospital for months.
After the birth of her first child, Jami had a bad Crohn’s flare-up. It required more medication and left her with an intense fear of leaving her house as an immunocompromised person during COVID-19. At this time, she met Dr. Vivian Huang, Clinician Investigator and Gastroenterologist at Mount Sinai Hospital, who helped her navigate recovery.
“While I still struggle with the symptoms of a chronic disease, Dr. Huang and her team have helped me live my life to the fullest,” said Jami. “Dr. Huang is compassionate, understanding and, most importantly, makes my health her top priority.”
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Dr. Vivian Huang provides specialized care to IBD patients at her clinic.
Dr. Huang started the Preconception and Pregnancy in IBD clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital in 2018 when she discovered the need for specialized, interprofessional care for patients with IBD planning or experiencing pregnancy. The clinic is part of Sinai Health’s Centre for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, which has gained a global reputation for expert care, education, and innovative research.
“Living with IBD affects patients’ quality of life as they are dealing with symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea and weight loss,” said Dr. Huang. “Our clinic offers guidance on fertility, medication safety and disease management.”
Dr. Huang’s clinic supports patients from preconception to post-partum. Her team of specialists help patients manage IBD symptoms and educate them on the safety of certain treatments and surgeries. They also work closely with fertility specialists, maternal fetal medicine specialists, and colorectal surgeons. Jami says Dr. Helen MacRae, retired Colon and Rectal Surgeon at Mount Sinai Hospital, performed life-saving surgeries that were instrumental in her recovery.
The demand for Dr. Huang’s clinic’s services is soaring and she is managing 100-150 pregnant patients with IBD who are referred to the clinic at any time. Dr. Huang focuses on a personalized approach that is rooted in addressing patient fears and concerns.
For Jami, the specialized care she received from Dr. Huang’s clinic was so helpful that she referred her twin sister, Jade, to get help after struggling for months post-partum with an IBD flare-up. Jami says her sister is now getting the same exceptional care she got before, during and after her pregnancy.
“There would be no way I would be here today if it wasn’t for constant support from my family and friends,” said Jami. “I had family members give up jobs and their lives to be by my side. Witnessing me struggle the way I did could not have been any easier than what I was going through.”
