AMA president gets colonoscopy at Milwaukee VA: 'I believe in the VA system'
As president of the American Medical Association, Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld is the face and voice of the nation’s largest association of doctors and medical students.
But he’s also a U.S. Navy Veteran who relies on the Milwaukee VA Medical Center for his health care. He just turned 45 years old. And on Friday, March 29, he did what we should all do at that age: Get a colonoscopy.
“I don’t know if looking forward to it is the right phrase, but I know it’s the right thing for me to do,” Ehrenfeld said earlier in the week.
“I trust in my doctors (at VA) to get me the care I need, and I encourage other Veterans to do the same,” he said. “I have a lot of faith in my doctors and my team, and I know it will go smoothly.”
Ehrenfeld’s procedure coincided with the conclusion of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and he said it was important to send a message about the need for everyone to get screened.
“A lot of people put this off for lots of reasons, but frankly, that could be deadly,” he said, noting that colorectal cancer screenings are recommended starting at age 45.
As an anesthesiologist, he said he has cared for “too many patients who had this disease, which is preventable. If caught early, colon cancer can be treated.”
Colorectal cancer is one of the leading cancer killers, and it often has no symptoms, said Dr. Juan Trivella, Ehrenfeld’s gastroenterologist and the Milwaukee VA.
“Someone could have polyps or colorectal cancer and not know it,” he said. “That is why getting screened regularly for colorectal cancer is so important.
“It doesn’t matter who you are, what your job is or what you look like: You need to get it done because it really prevents and decreases mortality.”
While a colonoscopy is considered the gold standard for screening, many people are leery of the procedure, mostly because of the preparation.
Before a colonoscopy, patients must alter their diet for a few days. The day before, they start a regimen of medications and a distasteful liquid that helps clear the bowels. That means frequent trips to the bathroom.
“There have been plenty of potty jokes in my house,” said Ehrenfeld, father of two boys, ages 1 and 5.
But colonoscopy isn’t the only way to screen. There are also at-home tests, which require collecting a stool sample and sending it to a lab for testing.
“Each test has advantages and disadvantages, and the patient should talk with their doctor about the pros and cons of each test and how often to be tested,” Trivella said.
That’s exactly what Ehrenfeld did. He’s been a VA patient since returning from service in Afghanistan in 2015, first in Nashville, Tenn., and since 2019 at the Milwaukee VA.
Ehrenfeld noted that he has commercial insurance and could get his health care anywhere, but he chooses to go with VA, saying, “It’s not your granddad’s VA.”
“I believe in the VA system,” he said. “It’s been a great experience for me; they’re just extraordinary clinicians. I feel privileged and fortunate to get all my health care through the VA.”
He said he’s especially enthused by VA’s services for younger Veterans, female Veterans and for LGBTQ+ Veterans. He is the first openly gay president of the AMA and feels strongly about addressing the medical deficiencies that minority groups often face.
“The VA, as a system, has really pivoted in some important ways,” he said. “It’s not perfect; there’s always work to do, but I don’t know any health system in the country that I wouldn’t say the same thing about.”
On Friday, with his procedure only minutes away, Ehrenfeld said he hopes other Veterans heed his experience and get screened.
“Having that conversation with your doctor is so important to preventing what could be a tragedy —someone ending up with metastatic colon cancer,” he said. “We’ve lost too many patients from not having this done.
“If one Veteran gets their colonoscopy because of this, then it’s worth it,” he said. “And if 10 get their colonoscopy, that will probably save a life.”