Board Certified gastroenterologists Dr. Paul Ruh and Dr. Jon Potter, alongside Board Certified nurse practitioners Molly Boyle Engedal and Tabetha Patrow, welcomed Dr. Dalai with open arms — and she hit the ground running.

Dr. Dalai, originally from Oregon, earned her medical degree from Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine before completing her residency in Internal Medicine at the UCLA-Olive View Program. Then, she specialized in gastroenterology by completing her fellowship at the University of New Mexico. She is the first person in her family to become a doctor, and after welcoming two children with her husband (a Wisconsin Native), they chose to call the Chippewa Valley, home.

In the past few months, Dr. Dalai has been treating locals with a variety of gastrointestinal needs — issues with swallowing, inflammatory bowel disease, bloating and constipation, diarrhea, liver problems, and more — with the entire team working to ensue the public knows one of their vital services: Colorectal Cancer Screenings.

“Colon cancer is the third most common cancer and a very high cause of cancer deaths,” Dr. Dalai said. “It is also one of the cancers that medical professionals have been able to decrease the mortality rate of, thanks to Colorectal Cancer Screenings.”

Screenings used to begin for people at the age of 50, but recently, that age has gone down to age 45. “The reason for that is, we have been finding more advanced colon cancer in younger people, though we don’t know exactly why,” Dr. Dalai explained.

During a colonoscopy, a long tube with a camera on the end allows doctors to see directly into the colon, where tumors or polyps may be present and signal a deeper issue. Many polyps are precancerous and can be removed during a colonoscopy for further testing. In doing so, people may avoid the growth of cancer in their colon.

After the procedure, patients are able to continue their regular routine as soon as the following day. Their results are typically delivered by mail within 2-3 weeks after any necessary lab tests and reports are completed, or may receive a phone call from their ECGI doctor.

For those that have a family history of colon cancer in first-degree relatives (parents and siblings), they are at higher risk and may be screened earlier than the recommended age of 45. “It really depends on the individual, but we want everybody to know that these tools are available here,” Dr. Dalai said. “It can be really devastating to find out you are in the later stages of colon cancer, but thankfully with screening, we have largely been able to catch it in its early stages.”

Many of ECGI’s patients are referred to them by their primary care physicians, while others may self-refer by reaching out themselves for an appointment. Under the OakLeaf Medical Network, ECGI takes most forms of insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid. Colorectal Screenings typically fall under the Preventative Care category.

For any procedure that requires sedation, ECGI’s doctors work locally at OakLeaf Surgical Hospital in Eau Claire, Advanced Surgical and Restorative Care in Altoona (inside the River Prairie Wellness building), Aspirus Health in Stanley, and AdventHealth in Durand. Otherwise, appointments are held at ECGI’s new, welcoming office.

As some of the only locally-based gastroenterologists in the Eau Claire area, ECGI is wholly committed to delivering personalized, expert care to the Chippewa Valley. Now with a third Board-Certified gastroenterologist on the team, they can help even more people too.

“Even with recent healthcare challenges, the medical community has come together to support one another in a way that is very special,” Dr. Dalai said. “That’s part of what makes Eau Claire so unique.”