When Dr. Avantika Mishra considered which medical specialty most resonated with her, she realized that female representation in clinically aggressive procedural specialties was lacking and felt emboldened to advocate for patients with her unique medical perspective. Dr. Mishra is a board-certified gastroenterologist serving the Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch communities. She works closely with patients who struggle with common to complex gastrointestinal and liver diseases. For Dr. Mishra, pausing to listen to patient concerns and collaborate with them is the most important foundation to developing long-lasting physician-patient relationships.

“Diagnosing gastrointestinal issues can be very nuanced and layered; it requires paying key attention to patients’ symptoms while keeping in mind already diagnosed medical comorbidities, “she says. “Patients need to know they’re heard and are working with someone that is invested in their care.”

She believes that an essential part of this care is continuously educating patients. Gut health is central to a healthy, functioning body and outcomes are improved when the patient is actively engaged in their own medical care. Dr. Mishra particularly focuses on informing her patients about the rates and risk of colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.

“Colorectal cancer is preventable and treatable disease, but the American Cancer Society expects it to cause more than 50,000 deaths this year,” she says. “As physicians, we need to constantly be talking to our patients about the importance of understanding symptoms and early screening. With this work, we can save lives.”

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Active member of the American College of Gastroenterology Women in Gastroenterology Committee
• Designated Chief Fellow for the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
• Presented at international GI conferences and published in highly regarded industry journals
• Selected for the American Neurogastro­enterology and Motility Society Clinical Training Program
• Able to converse with patients in Hindi, Spanish and English

Florida Digestive Health Specialists 
5741 BEE RIDGE ROAD, SUITE 550, SARASOTA FL 34233
(941) 361-1100
FDHS.COM