Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute Expands to Tampa Bay Area

Orlando, FL (October 1, 2025) – On Wednesday, the Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute announced that it is pleased to welcome a group of accomplished gastroenterology and advanced endoscopy physicians to its team, further expanding its world-renowned digestive care to the Tampa Bay area. The Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute is recognized internationally as one of the most advanced centers for digestive health and is committed to increasing access to care along Florida’s West coast.

Fifteen gastroenterology physicians and eight advanced practice providers with Florida Medical Clinic Orlando Health officially joined the Orlando Health Digestive Health team. These esteemed leaders in digestive care offer a full range of services in seven locations: Land O’Lakes, North Tampa, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Wesley Chapel – Epperson/Watergrass, Wesley Chapel – Wiregrass and Zephyrhills.

“We are incredibly excited to join forces with this team of trusted, dedicated and caring gastroenterology physicians and advanced practice providers who are distinguished experts in the field,” said Dr. Shyam Varadarajulu, gastroenterologist and president of the Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute. “By welcoming the Florida Medical Clinic Orlando Health gastroenterology team into the Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute, we are underscoring our commitment to expanding access to innovative, life-saving care to our friends, neighbors and loved ones along Florida’s West Coast.”

The Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute is an international destination for care that is also committed to innovation, leading research and educational initiatives around the globe. In April 2025, the Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute opened its newly expanded, state-of-the-art facility in downtown Orlando. The institute recently made headlines for its work pioneering AI technology for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer which is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. according to the American Cancer Society. The institute is also home to a cutting-edge Motility Center for patients with both upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders, an inflammatory bowel disease center that is nationally recognized for cutting-edge clinical care and research and a pancreas program directed by renowned medical pancreatologist Dr. Mel Wilcox.  The three-member liver team has been developed in anticipation of a solid organ transplant program that is expected to start at Orlando Health.

About Orlando Health

Orlando Health is a private not-for-profit, integrated academic healthcare system with $14 billion of assets under management, that serves the southeastern United States – including Florida and Alabama – and Puerto Rico. With corporate offices in Orlando, Florida the system provides a complete continuum of care across a network of medical centers and institutes, community and specialty hospitals, physician practices, urgent care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, home healthcare, and long-term and behavioral health care services. Founded more than 100 years ago, Orlando Health’s mission is to improve the health and the quality of life of the individuals and communities we serve. The system provided nearly $2 billion in community impact in the form of community benefit programs and services, Medicare shortfalls, bad debt, community-building activities and capital investments in FY 24, the most recent period for which the information is available. For more information, visit orlandohealth.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X.