Tucked away among the live oak trees in a part of Stone Oak that is increasingly becoming “Med Center II” is a thriving, state–of–the art clinic whose roots reach all the way to the original South Texas Medical Center.
Gastroenterology Consultants of San Antonio opened its Stone Oak clinic a year–and–a– half ago to meet the needs of its many North Side patients. The modern, all–electronic facility is surrounded by stand–alone parking and lush, native landscaping. And although it is still in its infancy, the three doctors who run it – Michael J. Guirl, Richard T. Shaffer and James F. Jackson – agree that the move to Stone Oak was a good one.
“Our goal is not to be the busiest practice, but the premier practice,” says Shaffer. “From the beginning we’ve insisted that our patients are always seen by a physician, not a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant.”
Adds Guirl, “Patients are often wowed by our beautiful, high–tech facility. But when it gets down to it, what they care about is plenty of parking, a comfortable waiting room, prompt service and the highest quality of care.”
Guirl, Shaffer and Jackson knew that moving from the longstanding clinic on Wurzbach Road, where their eight partners are located, would bring its challenges. But they also knew the reputation of Gastroenterology Consultants of San Antonio, co–founded by the immediate past president of the Bexar County Medical Society, Delbert L. Chumley, would allow the new facility to have an immediate impact on the Stone Oak medical community.
Chumley is one of the nation’s leading champions in the battle against colon cancer and is in line to serve next year as the president of the American College of Gastroenterology.
Guirl attributes the group’s success also to “great training, great partners and, most of all, great staff. One of our goals from a customer service perspective is to make sure every patient who enters our clinic is comforted and accommodated by every employee they come in contact with.”
The three partners were educated and trained at some of the top medical schools in the country, including Baylor, George Washington and Emory universities, but relocated to San Antonio when it came time to build their careers.
A San Antonio native, Guirl graduated from Madison High School. After studying at the University of Texas at Austin and Baylor College of Medicine, he moved to Dallas for his residency and fellowship. But he never quite got San Antonio out of his blood.
“This is home to me,” says Guirl. He and his wife, Jennifer, and three children now live in Stone Oak, five minutes from the clinic and not much farther from his old neighborhood.
Guirl says he likes being a gastroenterologist because “there is an opportunity to genuinely help people with problems that they wouldn’t even tell their spouse or family. I make a special effort to really listen to my patients and show them a genuine caring attitude towards their health.”
When he’s not working, Guirl enjoys spending time outdoors. He is a competitive swimmer, active member of the University United Method Church and a diehard Longhorn fan who attends “as many home UT football games as possible.”
For Shaffer it was San Antonio’s strong military ties that drew him here. After obtaining his M.D. from George Washington University, Shaffer entered the U.S. Army, where he had a distinguished career and received numerous awards.
For the last 15 years, Shaffer has been associated with Brooke Army Medical Center, most recently acting as director for the Gastroenterology Fellowship Program, where he has been responsible for the education and training of countless, new gastroenterologists.
For all his professional achievements, Shaffer’s greatest accomplishment may be as the father of four children. Shaffer’s wife, Stephanie Levine, is also a doctor –program director of the Pulmonary Fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio – so they always work hard to make time for their children.
“Our relationship and family comes first, then medicine,” says Shaffer, whose children include twins.
Jackson, whose wife, Carolyn, recently had their first child, can appreciate the balancing act between a demanding career as a physician and the demands of fatherhood. Still, he tries to find time to hone his golf skills, which allowed him to compete collegiately at Davidson College in North Carolina.
Jackson graduated from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio before heading to Atlanta’s Emory University School of Medicine, where he did his residency, taught and published research in medical publications such as American Journal of Gastroenterology and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
He returned to San Antonio because he loved the city and wanted the opportunity to work with one of the premier gastroenterology practices in the state and nation, Jackson says. He particularly likes practicing in the Stone Oak area because “patients have high expectations for their care, and are well–informed participants in their care. I particularly like that interaction.”
“Our practice is rooted in providing the highest quality care.We make extensive efforts to ensure that the care we deliver exceeds national standards,” Jackson says. “Our patients can feel comfortable knowing they will receive the highest quality GI care while maintaining the personal touch that they expect and deserve.”
