ABOUT US

The IBD Summer Camp is arranged by the IBD Summer Camp Foundation, a San Francisco based nonprofit organization. We are registered with the California State, and IRS as a nonprofit. The IBD Camp and the Foundation are the brainchild of Dr. Melvin Heyman, Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology Department at the UCSF Children's Hospital.

The camp is staffed by a team of physicians and nurses specialized in IBD:

Dr. Melvin Heyman, MD, MPH Laura Bridgers, RN, MSN, CPNP Betsy Hass-Beckert, RN, MS, PNPc Guadalupe Salazar, Ph.D., MPH

Melvin B. Heyman, M.D., MPH
Professor of Pediatrics,
University of California, San Francisco
Pediatric Gastroenterologist
UCSF Children's Hospital

Dr. Mel is chief of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at UCSF Children's Hospital. He is particularly interested in the care of children with inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and nutrition-related problems. He earned a medical degree at UCLA and completed his pediatric residency training at Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center. He completed postdoctoral training in nutrition, earning a master's degree in public health, and completed a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition at UCLA. In 1981, he joined UCSF, where he organized the clinical pediatric nutrition support service and established protocols for pediatric gastroenterology.

In his research, Dr. Mel was one of the first to reveal the importance of nutrition support in sickle cell anemia and has helped develop procedures to diagnose problems related to the liver in infants. He has pursued studies in the natural history and new treatments for children with inflammatory bowel disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease. He serves on many local and national committees including the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Nutrition, is Chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Executive Committee for the Section on Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, and is on the Board of the National PTA. A Professor of Pediatrics, he is the director of the teaching program in pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition in the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Mel has been providing medical direction for the Camp since it first began in 2001.

Laura Bridgers, RN, MSN, CPNP
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
IBD Research Study Coordinator
UCSF Children's Hospital

Laura Bridgers, CPNP, is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner who joined UCSF's Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition department in August 2003 after spending two year in the UCSF School of Nursing as an Assistant Clinical Professor in the MEPN program (Masters Entry Program in Nursing). She currently maintains an Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor position at the UCSF School of Nursing. Laura spends 80% of her time working with children who are diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). An additional 20% of her time is devoted to Pediatric Gastroenterology where you can find her in our UCSF specialty clinic or in the outreach clinic in Santa Rosa. Her research interests include new treatment modalities for IBD. Laura is the newest member of the camp medical staff and will be attending her third consecutive year at camp in 2006.

Betsy Hass-Beckert, RN, MS, PNPc
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Clinical Nurse Specialist
UCSF Children's Hospital

Betsy Haas-Beckert, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition is one of our Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. She joined the UCSF Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition in 1983. Betsy spends 100% of her time in clinical practice. She has a widespread patient base and has clinics at UCSF, Marin, Santa Rosa, and Modesto. She participates in the care, discharge, and family teaching of hospitalized children. Betsy has an expertise in specialized nutritional support, both enteral and parenteral. She is also a lecturer in the School of Nursing, preceptor to graduate nursing students, and participates in staff nursing training. As a person who has also had ulcerative colitis, she is a wonderful role model for the campers. Betsy has been helping care for our campers since 2002.

Guadalupe Salazar, Ph.D., MPH
Trainee/Fellow in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
UCSF Department of Anthropology, History and Social Medicine

Dr. Salazar is a post-doctoral trainee who is interested in the lived experience of children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. She will be researching themes such as illness experience, how children and their families manage IBD, and quality of life. She became involved with the camp during the 2005 session, when she assisted as a camp counselor.