Meet our Team

• Diseases of the liver that are related to excess alcohol consumption, including fatty liver disease, liver cirrhosis, and liver cancer.
• Viral hepatitis infections (hepatitis A, B, C, and E)
• Gastrointestinal bleeding caused by portal hypertension linked to liver injury
• Enzyme defects that cause liver enlargement in children, also known as liver storage diseases
• Some tropical infections such as hydatid cyst, kala-azar, or schistosomiasis
• Genetic and metabolic liver disease
• Pancreatitis, usually when caused by alcohol consumption or gallstones
• Drug metabolism
• Damage to the pancreas or biliary tract caused by infection, cancer, alcohol, bleeding, or obstruction.

Internal medicine is the world’s largest medical specialty, with nearly 200,000 internists practicing in the United States. Clinically, internal medicine physicians practice in an extremely wide range of roles and settings:

• Internists are trained in the comprehensive care of patients and may function as generalist physicians practicing primary care, hospital medicine, or both.

• Internal medicine also carries a strong emphasis on research. Internists may be involved in basic science discovery, but also are prominent in translating basic science knowledge to clinical practice. As a specialty, up to two-thirds of all clinical research funding through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is awarded to internists, and Departments of Medicine occupy a key role in research at our nation’s academic medical centers.

• Medical education is also an important activity undertaken by internists as the nature of internal medicine and its wide-ranging clinical and research activities equip internists well to teach medical students, residents and fellows.

• Internal medicine emphasizes a thorough understanding of the science underlying the practice of medicine and the need to develop a comprehensive fund of knowledge of disease gained through study, observation, and experience in the care of patients, leading to a mastery of the complex inter-relationships of science and disease.

• Internists believe that treatment of disease should be based upon scientific principles and our best understanding of what works and what does not.

• Internists value the ongoing development and refinement of their own skills in understanding illnesses and their treatment, and as much as possible, contributing new information to our overall knowledge of health and disease.

• Internists appreciate that physicians occupy a unique role in the lives of our patients and in society, and are obligated to bring our personal best to providing scientifically-based, compassionate, and high value care to our patients by balancing the understanding of the scientific aspects of medicine with the human and societal impact of disease

 "I have seen Dr. Van Deventer for about 20 years, and I am continually impressed with his boundless compassion and his commitment to being the best doctor possible. He fights for his patients, and his medical and communication skills are superb; I have never seen a doctor as capable and talented in my 60 years on the planet, and I have never met anybody in the medical community who cares as much for his patients. It shows during every visit"

" I have had digestive problems resulting in fecal incontinence for almost two years now (think about it - pretty awful stuff!) and I was at my wit's end trying to solve it - I tried several doctors and many different potential solutions.  Dr. Van Deventer was so patient - did lots of tests and spent a LOT of time with me to try to figure out what was going on.  He even called me a couple of times at the end to his work day to follow up on how things were working (what other doctor does that?!)  I am now almost 100% better!  I am so grateful to him - I was unable to go on long hikes before because I had to be near a bathroom.  He has given me my life back!!!  I can't say enough good things about him."

" Excellent bedside manner; not rushed; actually listens to the patient before speaking"