Mega Doctors News –
Weslaco – Knapp Medical Group is pleased to announce that Dr. Nicole Grigg-Gutierrez, M.D., has joined the group and is now seeing patients in need of gastroenterology-related services.
Dr. Grigg-Gutierrez completed a fellowship in Advanced Endoscopy at the Carolinas Healthcare System – Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Dr. Grigg-Gutierrez received her medical degree from the Universidad Central Del Caribe-Escuela de Medicina in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She went on to complete a residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Gastroenterology at the Department of Veterans Affairs – Caribbean Healthcare System, also in San Juan.
While Dr. Grigg-Gutierrez is well versed in traditional gastroenterology procedures — including endoscopies and colonoscopies — she said she also had the opportunity during her fellowship to receive training in a number of procedures that represent the leading edge of medical technology.
Some of these procedures include Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) – a procedure that treats problems associated with the bile and pancreatic ducts ranging from gallstones to tumors or cancer – and HALO Radiofrequency Ablation, a prime treatment of a complication of acid reflux that increases the risk of esophageal cancer (known as Barrett’s Disease).
“My gastroenterology fellowship was a dream come true,” Dr. Grigg-Gutierrez said. “Exposure to ERCP and Endoscopic Ultrasound impacted me the most due to their impressive diagnostic and therapeutic significance. It awakened my profound desire of further education in the advanced endoscopy field. In addition, the lack of specialists where I come from has made me aware of the need for advanced endoscopy physicians committed to the patient’s care and wellbeing.”
Dr. Grigg-Gutierrez, a native of Puerto Rico, said it has been a lifelong dream to pursue a career in medicine in an effort to help others live healthier, more fulfilling lives.
“It has been so long since I decided to pursue a career in medicine that I can’t recall the exact moment when that idea first crossed my mind,” she said. “Throughout college I deeply realized that I couldn’t dedicate my life to anything else but this field. I love the fact that medicine is one of the very few careers that provide a true possibility to help others improve their quality of life and therefore, make a positive impact in society.”
“The thought that this career is a lifelong commitment to improving mankind encouraged me to participate in volunteer work early on my medical training, which ranged from health fairs and an assistantship program with a specific community with limited resources, to working in free health clinics for the homeless,” she added.
Dr. Grigg-Gutierrez said that as her medical education progressed, choosing to hone in on the specialty of gastroenterology was a very personal decision.
“As part of my curriculum in internal medicine residency, I had the opportunity of performing a two-week elective rotation in gastroenterology in my first year,” she said. “This short rotation reinforced my interest in this field and gave me a feel of what a career in gastroenterology comprises.”
“After all the clinical exposure and the unexpected personal ordeal of dealing with my father’s diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinoma, I realized that continuing a career in gastroenterology was my true passion and next academic goal,” she added.
In her free time, Dr. Grigg-Gutierrez said she enjoys the Rio Grande Valley’s abundant sunshine and partakes in a number of outdoor hobbies, including hiking and paddle boarding. In addition to the weather, Dr. Grigg-Gutierrez said she has quickly fallen in love with the Mid-Valley’s close-knit community feel.
“I like how people here are really friendly and family-oriented,” she said. “I love the culture, and this is a great opportunity to be part of a close community where everyone is treated like family.”
Dr. Nicole Grigg-Gutierrez is now seeing patients in Weslaco. Her office is located in the Knapp Medical Plaza at 1330 East Sixth Street, Suite 201 in Weslaco. Her office can be reached at (956) 854-4342.
