Short Gut Syndrome Patient, Family & Professional Support Groups

Your medical care team

a doctor handing a teddy bear to a boy during an exam

When you enter the world of Short Gut, it is usually via the path of a major medical intervention in a hospital and, while there, you are surrounded by a seeming army of medical professionals. Keeping their specialties straight can be overwhelming. Then, when discharge rolls around need your own team of doctors. But that raises questions. Who should be on it? And who do you call if you need help your key team doesn't provide?

Short gut specialists

Most Intestinal Rehabilitation Teams involve these key players:

The supporting cast

In addition to these main players, you'll likely cross paths with one or more of the following specialties:

Doctors

Pharmacists

Until you enter the world of SBS, you may not realize how many kinds of pharmacists there are.

Home health care

Specialty nurses

Nurses are central to healthcare. In the hospital, they provide hands-on care. Outside the hospital, nurses are the first point of contact in doctor's offices. Besides these well-known roles, some nurses specialize in unique areas that help SBS patients.

Therapists

Therapists help patients to recover and adapt to life with chronic illness.

Mental health and social well-being

Case managers

For medically complex patients, insurance companies will often assign a case manager to help the patient understand their insurance plan and work with the insurance company. Medicaid and Medicare also sometimes assign caseworkers, especially for patients in waiver programs. Case managers are usually nurses with training in insurance company policies and can help patients with preauthorizations, questions about coverage, and finding providers.






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