Expanding Access, Advancing Science- How the University of Chicago Is Redefining IBD Care Across Chicagoland

Expanding specialty care beyond traditional academic campuses has become a critical strategy for improving access to advanced therapies for complex digestive diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, geographic growth alone is insufficient without maintaining the clinical rigor, continuity, and innovation that define tertiary referral centers. Ensuring patients receive the same level of expertise regardless of location has become a defining priority for leading gastroenterology programs.

In the accompanying video, Russell Cohen, MD, professor of medicine and clinical director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at the University of Chicago, described how UChicago Medicine’s expansion throughout the Chicagoland region has fundamentally improved access to subspecialty care. Historically, patients seeking advanced IBD management were required to travel to the Hyde Park campus. Today, University of Chicago faculty deliver care across a network spanning northern suburbs, western communities, and northwest Indiana. “We’re doing the driving to you,” Cohen said, emphasizing that patients seen at satellite locations receive care directly from University of Chicago specialists rather than affiliated providers without academic appointments.

Maintaining consistency across sites has been central to the expansion strategy. Cohen noted that care delivery extends beyond outpatient visits to include procedures, inpatient management, infusion therapies, and clinical trial access—all coordinated through the same academic teams. This integrated model allows patients to transition seamlessly between community-based care and the university’s tertiary services while preserving continuity and expertise. “You’re getting the full monty with the University of Chicago,” he said, underscoring the program’s commitment to delivering comprehensive, academically grounded care throughout its network.

At the same time, rapid therapeutic innovation has transformed clinical practice. Cohen reflected on the institution’s longstanding role in advancing biologic and targeted therapies, dating back to early breakthroughs in Crohn disease research and continuing through participation in modern clinical trials. These advances have expanded treatment options and improved outcomes, while ongoing translational research continues to connect laboratory discoveries with clinical application.