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F. Otis Stephen, MD

  • Gastroenterology
Santa Monica Digestive Diseases | 1223 16th Street, Suite 3100, Santa Monica, CA 90404

About

Director, Small Bowel Endoscopy Program

Dr. Stephen’s clinical focus includes endoscopic therapy and imaging of the small bowel, treatment of overt and obscure GI bleeding, endoscopic management of small bowel Crohn’s disease, management of non-IBD ulcerative small bowel diseases and capsule endoscopy. He has extensive experience and expertise in all methods of device-assisted enteroscopy, especially double-balloon enteroscopy, and in completion of previously failed colonoscopies. His research interests involve optimization of small bowel imaging and endoscopic access of the small intestine, medical therapies for non-IBD ulcerative small bowel diseases and the physiologic and enteric mucosal changes in surgically altered bowels.

Dr. Stephen earned a bachelor of science degree in physiological sciences at the University of California Los Angeles and a medical degree at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health. He completed his internal medicine residency training at Johns Hopkins University/Sinai Hospital and completed his gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship training at St. Louis University. He has trained numerous physicians in device-assisted enteroscopy and has helped multiple hospitals establish small bowel endoscopy programs. He has been an invited speaker for small bowel related topics at numerous conferences and medical institutions throughout the United States and internationally. He is a Fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGAF), the American College of Gastroenterology (FACG), and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (FASGE).

Languages

English

Education

Medical Board Certification

Gastroenterology, American Board of Internal Medicine, 2006

Fellowship

Gastroenterology & Hepatology, St. Louis University School of Medicine, 2006

Residency

Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins University/ Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, 2001

Degree

MD, Ohio State University College of Medicine, 1998

Hospital Affiliations

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center

Insurance

  • Aetna
  • Anthem Blue Cross
  • Blue Shield of California
  • Centivo
  • Cigna
  • First Health
  • Health Net of California
  • Interplan (part of HealthSmart)
  • L.A. Care
  • Medicare Advantage
  • MultiPlan
  • UFCM Health System
  • Prime Health Services
  • Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
  • TRICARE
  • UnitedHealthcare

The list of health care plans above may not be comprehensive and could change. 
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