News and Events

Our experts led a series of educational webinars for patients with IBD in partnership with the Crohns and Colitis Foundation. In case you missed them, you can view them at the links below.

• IBD Patients and COVID-19
• Multidisciplinary Care at the UPMC IBD Center
• IBD Patient Support and Self-Advocacy

At the UPMC IBD Center, we understand that living with inflammatory bowel disease can be difficult. Most of the time, people cannot tell that you are sick. Even among your close family and friends, it can be difficult to talk about your experiences.

That's why, at UPMC, we host patient support groups in partnership with the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. The informal, non-medical setting of the support group provides you with a perfect opportunity to:

• Ask questions about IBD
• Hear about other patients’ experiences with IBD
• Learn about your illness from IBD experts

Learn more about the benefits of support groups for patients with IBD.

For more information about upcoming support group meetings, visit the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation support groups page.

• Crohn's Disease and Its Effects on the Face: What to Know! discusses how Crohn's disease and its treatments can affect the face. Brian Ng, MD, a gastroenterologist at UPMC Hamot, and Lori Plung, a patient advocate and manager of the UPMC IBD Support Group, are quoted in the article. 
• Crohn's Doesn’t Have to Ruin Your Social Life—6 Expert Tips to Stay Connected focuses on how to maintain an active social life while managing Crohn's disease symptoms. Patrick Buckley, MD, and Lori Plung, a patient advocate and manager of the UPMC IBD Support Group, are quoted in the article.
• The Crohn’s Conversation: 6 Tips for Sharing Your Diagnosis With a New Partner provides advice for individuals who want to tell new partners about their Crohn's disease. Patrick Buckley, MD, and Lori Plung, a patient advocate and manager of the UPMC IBD Support Group, are quoted in the article.
• Meet Dr. David Binion! in this far-ranging conversation, David Binion, MD, discusses topics including his ongoing IBD biomarker research, the complexity of IBD symptoms, his personal experience with IBD, and more.
• Lori’s Story: Living with Short Bowel Syndrome is a video interview with Lori Plung, a patient advocate and manager of the UPMC IBD Support Group, shares her journey living with Crohn's disease and short bowel syndrome. Lori discusses many topics, including how life with a chronic illness can be like a "team sport" and how she partners with her health care team to monitor her health and maintain her quality of life.