How Coordinated Specialty Care Changed Susan's Healthcare Journey

When you're facing a health concern, having a team that communicates, collaborates and guides you every step of the way can greatly affect your experience. At UChicago Medicine AdventHealth, coordinated specialty care helps ensure patients have access to the expertise, support and treatment they need, when they need it. For Susan Townsend, that approach transformed a series of unexpected diagnoses into a clear path forward, providing confidence, continuity and peace of mind throughout her journey.

Susan's Story

Susan credits the coordinated, whole-person care she received from UChicago Medicine AdventHealth with changing, and perhaps even saving, her life.

“There’s always a plan going forward,” said Susan, 66, who lives in Porter County, Indiana. “You’re always given what the next step is going to be. It’s not, ‘You have to.’ It’s, ‘You can.’”

As a retired special education teacher, Susan appreciates having a clear care plan and a coordinated team that works together seamlessly on her behalf. It’s provided continuity and kept her needs central throughout a critical 12-month stretch.

In late 2024, Susan started having difficulty swallowing. Everything she ate and drank felt like it became lodged in her throat.

“You just take for granted that when you swallow, your food’s going to go all the way down to the bottom. In this case, it just didn’t,” she said.

Finding Answers at UChicago Medicine AdventHealth

A few months went by, and her symptoms didn’t improve. Concerned she wouldn’t be able to access help quickly from her local Indiana healthcare providers, she went online, found Dr. Neil Gupta, a gastroenterologist at UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale and made an appointment to see him the following week.

An endoscopy revealed that Susan had Zenker's diverticulum, a condition that occurs in only 2 out of 100,000 people, most over age 60. Zenker’s diverticulum is a pocket of tissue that forms where the throat and esophagus meet. It can make swallowing difficult. Food can become trapped in the pouch, causing regurgitation, bad breath and increasing the risk of aspiration and pneumonia.

Dr. Gupta referred Susan to Dr. Nikhil Shastri, an interventional gastroenterologist at UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale. Dr. Shastri’s office took the lead on scheduling an appointment, helping make the process easier for Susan during a challenging time. Susan was able to make an appointment with Dr. Shastri faster than she expected. They met virtually, reviewed options and agreed on a plan that included her traveling from Indiana to Hinsdale for a Zenker per-oral endoscopic myotomy (Z-POEM). This procedure requires freehand work within the three-millimeter wall of the GI tract.

“Not all interventional gastroenterologists do this procedure because of the extra training it requires and the rare nature of this disorder,” Dr. Shastri said. “It’s higher risk and technically challenging because we’re working in a thinner space, using a subset of skills most GI procedures don’t use.”

Using a flexible endoscope and electrocautery scissors, Dr. Shastri tunneled into the wall of the esophagus, cut down the muscle and closed the pouch in Susan's throat. No surgical incision was needed, making the procedure less invasive and lower risk than traditional surgery. Now food slides right off the diverticulum and down her esophagus, as it should.

“The fact that I went from standing in my living room not knowing what was going on to having this procedure done in a few months, that just doesn’t happen,” Susan said.

Just weeks post-procedure, Susan was back on a regular diet, her issue resolved.

“Now, when I swallow, I don’t feel anything strange at all. It is amazing to me.”

After her procedure, Susan went in for a routine mammogram, which revealed early-stage hereditary breast cancer. Again, her UChicago Medicine AdventHealth care team worked with her to put a clear plan in place, including surgery, radiation and follow-up preventive measures.

“I feel taken care of,” Susan said. “It’s been a smooth process all the way through. I was so fortunate that I decided to move my care to UChicago Medicine AdventHealth. Genetic breast cancer doesn’t go away. Now, I'll have continuous monitoring. This hospital system has everything I need. The way forward is always available.”

Whole-Person Care at Every Step

At UChicago Medicine AdventHealth, we believe no one should have to navigate a complex health journey alone. Our connected network of specialists works together to deliver personalized, whole-person care and make it easier to manage your health. Learn more about our digestive care here.