Board-Certified in Internal
Medicine and Gastroenterology
Stephanie D. Pointer, MD is a founder and managing partner of Digestive and Liver Health Specialists, PLLC. She is on staff as a clinical gastroenterologist at Tristar Hendersonville Medical Center.
Education and Training
Dr. Pointer received her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Rhodes College and her Doctor of Medicine from Morehouse School of Medicine. Dr. Pointer completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and a fellowship in gastroenterology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. While in fellowship, she had a special focus on inflammatory bowel disease.
Dr. Pointer has a demonstrable history of commitment to academic excellence and lifelong learning and has been inducted into multiple honor societies and has been published in peer-reviewed journals and a textbook. Dr. Pointer has a long-standing history of commitment to her community through volunteering, mentoring youth, and founding Enchanted Fingers Piano Lessons, a non-profit that she created during her undergraduate years to teach underserved youth piano lessons, free of charge.
History
Dr. Pointer co-founded Digestive and Liver Health Specialists, PLLC after a successful and rewarding tenure as a clinical gastroenterologist at Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital in Murfreesboro, TN. While at Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital, she served on multiple committees including the Physician Well Being Committee. She also founded and directed a gastroenterology elective through which family medicine residents and undergraduate students could rotate and learn how to manage common gastrointestinal disorders. While at Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital, Dr. Pointer was well respected by her colleagues and her patients appreciated her calm and caring disposition, as well as the time that she would spend with them listening to their concerns, sharing her knowledge and expertise, and counseling them on the next steps in management.
Expertise
Dr. Pointer’s clinical expertise encompasses all aspects of gastroenterology with specific interests in the management of complex inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), women’s digestive health, nutrition and its intersection with the gut microbiome/gut health, colorectal cancer screening and prevention, eosinophilic esophagitis, celiac disease, cirrhosis, and autoimmune liver disease, and functional gastrointestinal disorders including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and bloating. She also treats acid reflux, swallowing disorders, heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, gluten sensitivity and other food intolerances, digestive tract bleeding, and other digestive concerns. She offers a comprehensive array of endoscopic procedures to prevent, diagnose, and treat gastrointestinal disorders in adults and prides herself on staying up to date on emerging and innovative therapies in gastroenterology.
Professional Memberships
Dr. Pointer is a member of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists (ABGH), and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. Dr. Pointer has been actively involved in national gastroenterology organizations since her fellowship. She currently serves on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee with the ACG. With the AGA, she has previously served on the Government Affairs Committee. She currently serves on the Trainee and Early Career Committee as the chair-elect and will assume the role of chair, which is a 3-year term, in June 2022. Through AGA’s annual advocacy day, Dr. Pointer has also engaged members of Congress to discuss timely health care policies that impact the field of gastroenterology which have real-world implications for patient care.
Goals
Dr. Pointer is dedicated to providing excellent and compassionate care to her patients, as well as establishing long-term relationships with her patients and their families. While also offering therapeutic approaches to managing gastrointestinal disorders, Dr. Pointer also strives to guide her patients on dietary and lifestyle changes that also improve their overall gut health. Her goal is to create a patient-centered practice in comprehensive gastroenterology, while also maintaining an active presence on the national gastroenterology committees on which she serves.
Interests
Outside of the office, Dr. Pointer enjoys spending time with her husband, family, and cats Ninja and Luna, playing classical piano, long-distance running, sewing, cooking delicious vegan food, animal rights activism, and writing fiction novellas.
