Award-Winning Physician Brings State-of-the-Art Skills and Training to Tri-City Area

Sometimes following your dreams involves journeys far from home. Gastroenterologist Zaid Imam, MD, who joined Washington Township Medical Foundation (WTMF) in July, is a perfect example of that. Dr. Imam has joined longtime WTMF gastroenterologists Arun Srivasta, MD, and Annamalai Veerappan, MD.

Born in Syria and raised in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Dr. Imam earned his medical degree from Jordan University of Science and Technology in Irbid, Jordan. He then came to the United States in 2016 to complete both his residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan. He also received additional clinical training at the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals at Case Western Reserve University – both in Cleveland, Ohio – as well as St. Mary’s Hospital at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Along the way, Dr. Imam earned numerous prestigious awards and recognition for excellence as an intern, resident, researcher and teacher. He also authored, co-authored and edited numerous medical studies and articles in highly respected medical publications.

Somehow, in the midst of all that work, he also managed to meet his future wife – who is also originally from Syria – when he was still in Michigan and she worked in Illinois. When her work for Apple as a hardware engineer took her to the San Francisco Bay Area, Dr. Imam decided to pursue career opportunities in Northern California that would fulfill his career ambitions as well as keep him close to his fiancée. The couple married in June.

“I had traveled up and down California before, including some specialized training in Southern California and four trips in Northern California that were mostly for fun and to visit my wife while we were engaged,” Dr. Imam recalls. “Then I discovered the opening at WTMF, and all the pieces seemed to fall into place.”

Dr. Imam notes that one way his affiliation with WTMF fulfills his primary career goals is that it allows him to bring his training and expertise to people in a local community. “It is important to have physicians with essential medical expertise within our community,” he explains. “For example, many people might experience frequent heartburn, which could be a symptom of a more serious condition known as gastroesophageal reflux disease, often referred to as GERD. Having local physicians with expertise in diagnosing and treating a variety of conditions like GERD helps patients enjoy a good, healthy life without having to spend hours on the road traveling to larger medical centers across the Bay.”

In addition to treating GERD, Dr. Imam has extensive experience in performing endoscopies and colonoscopies. He also has a special interest and experience in working with patients who have irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Dr. Imam’s comprehensive clinical training also includes more complicated procedures that are not usually performed by all gastroenterologists. One example is endoscopic ultrasound evaluations that help doctors better see and diagnose conditions in and near the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. He also performs another advanced procedure called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), which combines X-rays and endoscopy to diagnose and treat problems in the liver, gallbladder and pancreas, as well as the bile ducts that emanate from the liver.

Another priority for Dr. Imam is providing patient education to help people learn how to lead healthier lives and understand medical conditions better so they can work in partnership with their primary care providers. He already has signed up to provide an online community seminar sponsored by Washington Hospital about the causes, symptoms and treatment of GERD and the various screening options patients have (see related adjacent article).

“In many cases, patients can learn to manage various health conditions by making positive changes in their lifestyle,” he notes. “I believe that when people are informed with the facts about how to improve their health, it can make a substantial difference in their quality of life.”

For information about contacting Dr. Imam, or if you need help finding a physician, visit www.whhs.com or www.mywtmf.com.