Irish sister looking for advice for brother in America

[Nutmeg]

My brother has recently moved to the US from Ireland and we are trying to learn more about how IBD is managed over there and who are the best specialists to be seeing for assosiated joint pains.

There seems to be great support groups and I hope to find out more about them and encourage him to link up with people in Arlington VA.

Any information would be greatly appreciated

 

[ameslouise]

Hi Nutmeg and welcome! You are sweet to seek advice for your brother!

What kind of insurance does your brother have? If it's private insurance thru his employer, then he should go thru his provider network to find a good GI and Rheumatologist within his network. There are meds for CD that can help both Crohn's and Arthritis, like Remicade or Humira.

Good luck - I hope he is finding life in the US to be good, except for the horrible traffic in the DC area where he is!!!

- Amy

 

[xJillx]

Hi Nutmeg! I would highly recommend Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. It is one of the best in the entire country and is only an hour north of Arlington, VA. Of course, as Amy has mentioned, his medical insurance coverage would have to be taken into consideration (whether or not Johns Hopkins is "in network", meaning his insurance will cover it). I wish him luck!

 

[David]

While I can't recommend you any specific locations, I did want to welcome you to the forum. It's very sweet of you to be doing this research, your brother must feel very loved and supported.

 

[Nutmeg]

Thankyou for the replies everyone! He has insurance but the rheumatologist he saw didn't seem to know much about CD so we were worried that maybe it's not their job - thanks for clearing that up though! I hope he finds a good one soon.

 

[dreamintwilight]

Hi Nutmeg!

You've been given some really great advice so far. As far as the rheumatologist not knowing about CD, they should still be able to identify and treat any joint/arthritic problems, whether they are related to CD or not. A GI could help with more CD specific problems with intestinal inflammation and such. Though it would probably be helpful for the rheumy to at least be familiar with typical problems that can be associated with CD. It could take a couple (or more) tries to find the right doc for your brother. There's nothing wrong with interviewing and meeting with several in-network doctors to see which one has the best fit and seems knowledgeable!