Front Lines SNAPSHOTS Meet one of the faces of success Yakir Muszkat, M.D., is a board-certified gastroenterologist at Henry Ford Medical Center—West Bloomfield, and a member of the Henry Ford Medical Group. "Growing up, I always envisioned myself using medicine and technology to help people," says Dr. Muszkat. "I've gotten a lot of satisfaction in my practice from seeing people get better, especially if they're cured." After his residency at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, he completed two fellowships at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York: one in clinical nutrition and one in gastroenterology. Between the two, he worked for a year as a physician in the Urgent Care Center at Memorial Hospital. In his 11 years with Henry Ford, Dr. Muszkat has seen numerous advances in his field. A recent development in gastroenterology is capsule endoscopy. After a capsule is swallowed, a recording device is attached to the patient for eight hours, enabling the physician to see images of the small intestine. "The capsule endoscopy helps to diagnose patients with obscure gastro-intestinal bleeding and inflammatory bowel disease," he says. "Soon, we'll be able to biopsy and treat lesions in the small intestine as well." The procedure is done at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, but may be available in the near future at Henry Ford's West Bloomfield Medical center. Dr. Muszkat also is involved in the medical center's Medical Mentorship Program, which enables advanced-level science students at West Bloomfield High School to shadow a medical professional during the school year. He also takes part in teach- ing programs at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, and lectures to fellows, residents and medical students. For more information or to make an appointment call 1-800-HENRYFORD or visit our Web site www.henryfor . d.com 12 April 20 • 2006 "I look forward to increasing the fellowship training oppor- tunities in West Bloomfield," he says. "When the new hospi- tal is complete, we will inte- grate teaching programs between the Detroit hospital and West Bloomfield." Dr. Muszkat often treats patients who require long-term nutrition through feeding tubes or intra- venously. Feeding tubes Aced directly into the stomach and total parenteral nutrition (TPN) can be life-saving in patients who can no longer digest and absorb their food, due to a diseased gastroin- testinal tract. He also treats patients with gastroesophageal reflux, gastroin- testinal bleeding caused by peptic ulcer disease and other causes, Crohn's Disease, ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome, as well as liver, biliary and pancreatic diseases. "A primary goal in my practice is to increase awareness of the need for colon cancer screening," he says. "It's the third most common cancer in the U.S., and it's nearly 100 percent curable, if caught in the early stages, when polyps can be removed. Technion Visitors A festive dinner event was held in Ann Arbor at the Washtenaw JCC on March 8 to introduce members of the Ann Arbor community to the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. About 40 people heard greetings from Ann Arbor Symphony Conductor Arie Lipsky, who, to please his mother, became an aeronautical engineer at the Technion. Dr. Dror Seliktar presented his research on tissue engineering and stem cells and the stu- dents shared their compelling stories of IDF leadership and Technion stu- dent life. Shown are Lipsky; American Technion Society East Central Regional Director Matt Engelbert; and Technion students Gili Bisker, physics, and Amit Meiselles, mechanical engineering. . Watching Hoops Teen Connection attended the Detroit Pistons game on March 26 at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Teen connection is a program for Jewish seventh- and eighth-graders, sponsored by Michigan Region B'nai B'rith Youth Organization. Shown are Stacey Kaplan, 13, of West Bloomfield; Lainie Rotenberg, 15, of West Bloomfield; Kayla Cohen, 13, of Farmington Hills; and Rachel Goldberg, 14, of Farmington Hills. "I recommend colonoscopies to all my patients who are 50 and older. It is critical to have this test, since most people with colon cancer do not have symptoms. If no polyps are found, a follow-up colonoscopy is recom- mended every in years. Patients with polyps, or a family history of colon cancer, require a follow-up colonoscopy every five years." Dr. Muszkat resides in Oak Park with his wife, Rena, and their five children. The family is affiliated with Bais Haknesses Hagra. Dr. Muszkat also serves on the board of Yeshiva Beth Yehudah. Brotherly Assembly Harmon Tron, chair of Brotherhood Night, presents a plaque to Rabbi David Nelson of Congregation Beth Shalom-in Oak Park on March 16. The Michigan Jewish War Veterans and Ladies Auxiliary held its annual brotherhood event at the Oak Park JCC. Speakers included the Rev. Henry Reinwald, Rabbi Nelson, Beverly V. Leneski, chief of Voluntary Services at the Ann Arbor Veterans Medical Center, and Tyrone Chatman, Michigan Veterans Foundation associate executive director.