Zuleika Tavarez, NP

Philip George, MD is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Columbia University. He is a board-certified general surgeon who is fellowship-trained in minimally invasive and robotic general surgery. During his residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center, he was elected chief resident and was awarded the prestigious Arthur Aufses Jr. Award for his dedication to surgical research, resident teaching, and excellence in patient care. Dr. George then underwent fellowship training in minimally invasive anti-reflux and hernia surgery at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Maryland. His unique fellowship training has made him skillful in advanced minimally invasive anti-reflux and hernia repair techniques. These include tissue flap repair of hiatal hernias, transversus abdominis release (TAR), enhanced view totally extraperitoneal hernia repairs (eTEP), and robotic total abdominal wall reconstruction of massive ventral incisional hernias. Prior to accepting the prestigious position at the Columbia Hernia Center, Dr. George worked in central New Jersey, specializing in advanced hernia repair techniques. His research in the field has been presented at national meetings as well as published in peer-reviewed journals. He is also an active member of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES). Dr. George offers patients unparalleled communication all while focusing on having the best outcomes possible. He is committed to his patients by ensuring they receive the most up-to-date care and by making sure they feel comfortable every step of the way.

Sheila D. Rustgi is a gastroenterologist with a special interest in the prevention and early detection of gastrointestinal cancers. After graduating from Yale University with a degree in Economics, she completed her medical degree, internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship training at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she served as Chief Fellow during her final year. Dr. Rustgi has published on the care of patients with pancreatic cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and the impact of health insurance on patient care. Dr. Rustgi's clinical interests include the care of patients at high risk for gastrointestinal cancer due to an inherited cancer syndrome, colon cancer screening, Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis and general GI diagnoses such as IBS. Dr. Rustgi joined the faculty of the Division of Digestive and Liver Disease in the Department of Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in 2020.