Welcome to the Idaho Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

• Gastroenterologists who oversee your care and work in tandem with advanced practice providers (APPs).
• Advanced Practice Providers (APPs), including nurse practitioners and physicians assistants. Our APPs are trained in IBD care in the outpatient setting. The APP manages and treats inflammatory bowel disease in collaboration with the physicians. APPs see established patients independently in the clinic setting and can order necessary lab work or diagnostic testing, as well as prescription medications.

Your well-being is our top priority. We aim to work closely with you to ensure you have the best quality of life possible. Our partnership will work best if you:

• Attend all your scheduled visits and notify us in advance if you need to miss one.
• Take your medications as prescribed and inform us if you have concerns about costs, side effects, or any other issues with your medications.

Communication is key! If you're unable to answer our call, please make sure you have a voicemail set up to receive messages. You might get calls from your care team, specialty pharmacists, your insurance company, or others. This communication is crucial for following up on your symptoms, sharing recommendations, preauthorizing medications, enrolling you in financial assistance programs, and addressing other issues related to your care.

If you have a change in address, phone number, or health insurance, please notify our IBD care team by calling 208-489-1909 or sending a secure message through our patient portal with your updated information. If you are taking immunosuppressive medication, we need to be able to reach you quickly.

Always inform us about any new health issues, ER visits, or hospital stays. Please try to bring records of your hospital stays to your appointments with us. The most important documents to obtain are the discharge summary and reports of any tests, such as endoscopy, CT, MRI, and blood tests.

• Scheduled Visits: We need to see you at least once every 6-12 months, depending on your condition. Missing visits or lab tests could affect your care.
• In-between Visits: Don't wait until your scheduled appointment if you're feeling sick. Call your nursing team or message us through the portal with your concerns. We can arrange an urgent office visit or develop a care plan until you can be seen in the clinic.

If you are sick or experiencing side effects between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM on a weekday, please call our IBD care team at 208-489-1909 or send us a secure message through the patient portal. If you call, you may need to leave a message. Be sure to include your name, date of birth, your concerns, a call-back phone number, and any times you will be unavailable. We aim to return all non-urgent calls within 48 hours and portal messages within 24 hours.

If you have an urgent question after 5:00 PM on a weekday or during the weekend, call the clinic at 208-489-1900 and request the on-call gastroenterologist.

For EMERGENCIES that cannot wait 4 hours, call 911 or visit the closest Emergency Department.

ER Visits: If you are considering going to the ER, call your nurse first so we can try to see you immediately. If you can’t reach us and you’re seriously ill, don’t wait—go to the ER right away.

Hospital Admissions: If you are admitted to the hospital due to an IBD flare, your outpatient IBD gastroenterologist will not see you daily while you're hospitalized. The on-call gastroenterologist will monitor your care and see you during your stay. This doctor will communicate with your outpatient doctor about your care as needed.

New Health Problems: Let us know about new health issues, ER visits, or hospital stays. Bring any related medical records to your visits.

Medication Refills:

• Call your pharmacy 2 working days before running out of medication.
• For mail-order medications, call at least 3 weeks ahead.

Changes in Contact Information:

If you change your address, phone number, or health insurance, notify us at 208-489-1900 or send a secure message through the patient portal. This ensures we can reach you promptly, especially if changes in your medication are required.

Here are some websites and organizations that may help you understand IBD better:

• Crohn's and Colitis Foundation Website
• Stress, anxiety, and IBD
• Diet, nutrition, and IBD
• Finances and IBD
• Surgery for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
• Preventative Health
• University of Michigan IBD School
• IBD&me: Choosing a Biologic Medication for IBD
• Video-based Information about Living with IBD
• American College of Gastroenterology Podcasts
• Crohn's Disease
• Ulcerative Colitis
• Newly Diagnosed
• Medication Guide
• Diet and Nutrition
• Gut Friendly Recipes

• Charmin "Sit or Squat" app: Find clean restrooms nearby
• University of Utah Travel Medicine Clinic: Helpful tips for traveling with IBD.
• Restroom access: Restroom Access

Please call your pharmacy at least two working days before you run out of your medicine. If you use a mail-order service, please get in touch with us at least 3 weeks before you need the refill to ensure sufficient time for your medicine to be mailed. Please use a calendar to keep track of the due dates for monitoring lab work. If you do not complete your monitoring labs as planned, this could result in delays in refilling immunosuppressive medications.