Elizabeth Helgans, PA-C

When growing up, Elizabeth Helgans, PA-C realized she had a knack for medicine by treating animals, mainly her pet cats. She learned how to clean and dress their wounds and occasionally lance abscesses in her family’s modified “vet clinic” aka: their kitchen table. She has since become a physician assistant working with Robert Levine, MD in the Gastroenterology (GI) Department at Boulder Medical Center.

Elizabeth is genuinely interested in her patients: “I love learning about my patients,” she says. “Not just about their particular aliment, but also about what makes them unique and what they like doing in their free time. I feel that if I get to know the patient, I can better help them.”

Her philosophy of care is to educate her patients, which she feels can be very reassuring for those who are facing medical procedures. “There is a lot of fear regarding visiting the gastroenterologist or having a colonoscopy,” she explains. “I like to help calm those fears and believe that the best way to do this is through education.”

With a personal history of colon cancer and Celiac disease, Elizabeth empathizes with patients who have fears around their diagnosis or treatment. “My personal history with these diseases has instilled me with a strong desire to empower my patients by encouraging healthy lifestyle and dietary changes,” she explains. “Celiac is a primary example of how diet alone can heal your gut.”

In addition to working as a physician assistant, Elizabeth is a cowgirl at heart. She loves to hop on her horse in a western saddle and chase cows. She also enjoys spending skiing and camping with her family and spends time reading magazines and testing recipes.

Elizabeth Helgans treats a range of Gastroenterology (GI) problems including:

• Liver disease, infectious and autoimmune hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver
• Esophageal disorders
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
• Gastritis, stomach ulcers
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Inflammatory bowel diseases and conditions such as: Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis, microscopic colitis, and hemorrhoids.

• Undergraduate — Denison University
  Economics and Communications
  Granville, OH
  1991

• Undergraduate — St John's University
  BS - Physician Assistant
  Jamaica-Queens, NY
  1998

American Academy of Physician Assistants
National Commission of the Certification of Physician Assistants
Colorado Association of Physician Assistants