GI Health

By Mark Loehrke
Appears in the August 2026 issue.

Northwestern Medicine opens new digestive care facility in Winfield

People struggling with digestive issues in many cases already have a stomachache. They certainly don’t need the added headache of trying to coordinate their specialty care across a far-flung collection of doctors and facilities throughout the Chicago area (or beyond).

That’s the situation Northwestern Medicine is trying to help gastrointestinal patients with at its new Center for Advanced Endoscopy at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, a state-of-the-art, $15 million clinical center designed to bring highly specialized, leading-edge digestive care to the western suburbs. With an estimated 60 million to 70 million Americans nationwide currently dealing with digestive diseases (a number that continues to grow each year), it was an idea that had long been on Northwestern’s radar.

“This project began over three years ago with a focus on providing a true concierge experience for those with complex digestive diseases,” explains gastroenterologist Sri Komanduri, an interventional endoscopist at the center and Northwestern Medicine’s director of system integration for digestive health. “Our goal was to create a center that offers the same expertise and innovation found at major academic medical centers but with easier access for patients in our community. Local patients now have access to the most advanced endoscopic procedures right here in the western suburbs, without the added burden of traveling far from home for this higher level of care.”

As one of only a handful of standalone advanced endoscopy sites in the country, the new Central DuPage facility will focus on treatment, of course, but also innovation and research. To that end, the center will be staffed not only by leading physicians in the field but prominent researchers and pioneers of endoscopic techniques as well. “Our vision is to make Central DuPage Hospital a destination for advanced GI care, not just for this region, but nationally and globally,” says gastroenterologist Amrita Sethi, medical director of the center and medical director of innovation and training for the Northwestern Medicine Digestive Health Institute. “We’re bringing innovative therapies, minimally invasive diagnostics, clinical research, medical training, and comprehensive patient support together under one roof.”

Spanning 20,000 square feet, the center features next-generation technologies, including advanced imaging, flexible robotics, AI-enabled diagnostics, and a planned hybrid operating room with GI and interventional radiology capabilities. Patients will be able to access consultations, diagnostics, treatments, and follow-up care for a wide range of gastrointestinal conditions in one location—all of which can help lead to faster diagnoses, improved outcomes, and reduced recovery times. And on the research front, the center will host national and international training programs, support clinical trials, and foster development of new techniques and technologies. “This facility makes the highest level of GI care available to more patients,” Komanduri says. “By combining top-tier talent, advanced technology, and a focus on innovation, Northwestern Medicine is setting the new standard for what GI care can look like in a community setting.”

Photos: Northwestern Medicine