St. Luke’s residency grad returns to care for surgical patients at St. Luke’s Warren Campus
PHILLIPSBURG, NJ (Warren County) – St. Luke’s is proud to welcome one of its residency graduates back to the Network. General surgeon, Ellyn Smith, MD, is returning to St. Luke’s and the Lehigh Valley to care for patients at St. Luke’s General Surgery – Warren. Dr. Smith is board-certified in general surgery and completed her residency with St. Luke’s before pursuing a fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. During her time on the West Coast, she trained with advanced laparoscopic techniques, a minimally-invasive type of surgery which often results in shorter hospital stays, less requirement of opioid and pain medication and less long-term hernia complications.
In her role as general surgeon, Dr. Smith works with a variety of diseases of the esophagus and stomach, (including GERD, hiatal hernia, gastric and esophageal cancer), laparoscopic and open abdominal procedures, simple and complex hernia surgery, gallbladder surgery and the management of a variety of cancers including thyroid, skin and breast.
“Having been extensively trained in both open and laparoscopic surgery, I can offer patients a variety of advanced surgical options and techniques without having to travel outside the region for these kinds of treatments,” says Dr. Smith. “I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work closely with the exceptional faculty at UC Irvine and gastrointestinal colleagues to learn advanced endoscopic techniques and complete an additional year of training.”
Dr. Smith grew up in upstate New York and completed her undergraduate education at the College of Charleston with degrees in biochemistry and chemistry. After a short period of time working at the Medical University of South Carolina, studying antibiotic resistance and protein structure, she started medical school closer to home at SUNY University at Buffalo. She completed her residency at St. Luke’s University Health Network and then relocated to California for advanced training in minimally-invasive and gastrointestinal surgery at the University of California, Irvine.
“I returned to St. Luke’s because I wanted to utilize my newly learned skills to offer advanced techniques to the community,” says Dr. Smith. “I also wanted to return to the phenomenal culture of the Network, one in which an emphasis is placed on providing exceptional, world-class, compassionate care. I treat my patients as if they were family, and I believe that exceptional medical care should always be delivered with empathy and understanding.”
“We are so excited to have Dr. Smith back home at St. Luke’s, working with expert physicians Dr. Sharpe and Dr. Rastog, to provide patients with exceptional surgical care,” says Kelly Glaser, director of operations, SLPG General Surgery. “Ellyn’s skill and minimally-invasive training will be a great resource to the Warren community and our Network.”
To make an appointment to see Dr. Smith, contact St. Luke’s General Surgery – Warren at 484-526-2200.
