Top 15 Crohn's Disease Specialists in the United States

Crohn's disease affects at least one million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health, and its chronic, relapsing nature means that the caliber of a treating physician directly shapes long-term disease outcomes. 1 Gastroenterologists who focus specifically on inflammatory bowel disease typically complete advanced fellowship training beyond standard gastroenterology residency, and many are embedded within dedicated IBD centers at academic medical institutions. 2 The specialists profiled below represent a cross-section of clinicians recognized through peer ratings, published research, professional awards, and institutional leadership roles across the United States.

Cleveland Clinic IBD Specialists

Cleveland Clinic's Department of Gastroenterology houses one of the country's most concentrated groups of IBD-focused physicians. Dr. Bret A. Lashner, MD, serves as Director of the Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, and holds board certifications in both internal medicine and gastroenterology. 3 He received his medical degree from New York University, completed his gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Chicago, and earned a Master of Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago. In 1999 he received the Premier Physician Award from the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, and he serves on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Gastroenterology and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases journal, among others. His patient rating stands at 4.6 based on 28 reviews. 3

Dr. Benjamin Cohen, MD, is Co-Section Head and Clinical Director for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases at Cleveland Clinic, with a patient rating of 4.7 across 103 ratings. 4 His primary research focus has centered on the safety of biologic medications in the peri-operative period, for which he led a large multi-center clinical study. He received his MD from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and earned the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation's Rising Star Award in 2018 for his leadership within the REACH-IBD committee, a training and mentorship initiative for junior IBD faculty. 4 Dr. Jean-Paul Achkar, MD, also at Cleveland Clinic, carries a 4.9 patient rating based on 152 ratings and has received research awards from the NIH, the American College of Gastroenterology Governors Award for Best Scientific Paper, and the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation Premier Physician Award. 5 Dr. Suresh Pola, MD, Director of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases at Consultants in Gastroenterology within the Cleveland Clinic system, holds a 4.9 rating from 54 reviews and offers intestinal ultrasound for rapid IBD evaluation, a capability that enables real-time clinical decision-making. 6 Dr. Sandra Kim, Chair of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Cleveland Clinic since February 2023, focuses specifically on pediatric IBD, with NIH-funded research on novel therapeutics and the role of the gut microbiota. 7

Johns Hopkins and Mid-Atlantic Specialists

Dr. David Alejandro Muniz Pedrogo, MD, MS, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, practicing at the Johns Hopkins Health Care and Surgery Center in Lutherville, Maryland. He holds a patient rating of 4.96 across 61 ratings and sees patients across the full age spectrum, from infants to older adults. 8 His research focuses on precision medicine for IBD by investigating how the immune system and gut microbiome predict therapeutic response, and he serves as assistant director of the IBD clinical trials unit at Johns Hopkins. 8

Dr. Raymond K. Cross, Jr., MD, MS, AGAF, FACG, Medical Director of The Center for Inflammatory Bowel and Colorectal Diseases at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, was named the 2025 Medical Champion of Hope Award recipient by the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation's DC/Maryland/Virginia Chapter. 9 Dr. Cross has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and has received research funding from the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the American College of Gastroenterology. He currently serves as Research and Investigator Lead for SPARC IBD and has previously chaired the Foundation's Clinical Research Alliance and Patient Education Committee. 9

Boston and New England Specialists

Dr. Joshua R. Korzenik, MD, practices at the Brigham and Women's Gastroenterology Crohn's and Colitis Center in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, part of the Mass General Brigham health system. He holds a patient rating of 4.9 based on 104 ratings and 53 reviews. 10 Dr. Korzenik completed his fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine in 1994 and his medical education at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1987. He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and accepts a broad range of insurance plans including Medicare, Medicaid, and major commercial insurers. 10

Dr. David Rubin at the University of Chicago Medicine is widely recognized as a leading gastroenterologist specializing in IBD and Crohn's disease management, with extensive clinical and research experience embedded in one of the nation's premier academic IBD programs. 11 The University of Chicago Medicine IBD Center maintains a multidisciplinary model that integrates gastroenterology, surgery, nutrition, and mental health support, a structural approach that reflects current best-practice standards for complex Crohn's disease care. 12

Florida, Pittsburgh, and Western United States Specialists

Dr. David Harris Kerman, MD, Associate Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, practices at the UM Crohn's and Colitis Center in Doral, Florida, and carries a patient rating of 4.8 based on 154 ratings. 13 His clinical expertise focuses on complex IBD and recurrent C. difficile infection; he has served as Director of the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship Program and as Chief Medical Officer for the UM Department of Medicine. He sees patients from South Florida, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. 13

Dr. David George Binion, MD, at UPMC in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, specializes in inflammatory bowel disease gastroenterology and holds a 4.9 rating from 131 ratings and 47 reviews. 14 He is affiliated with UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, UPMC Presbyterian, and UPMC Shadyside, and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Amir Kashani, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine, co-directs the Division of Gastroenterology's breath test program and completed an advanced fourth-year IBD fellowship at Vanderbilt University. He speaks Farsi and English and practices in Salt Lake City, Utah. 15 Dr. Mark Salem, a board-certified gastroenterologist at the University of California, Irvine, and the VA Health System in Long Beach, holds advanced fellowship training in IBD including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, with over 13 years of combined clinical experience. 16

New York Specialists and Mayo Clinic's IBD Program

Dr. Laura Sahyoun, MD, practices in New York, New York, affiliated with New York-Presbyterian Hospital at the David H. Koch Center, and holds a patient rating of 5.0. 17 Her claims volume in inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, viral enteritis, and ulcerative colitis exceeds that of other providers in her area, according to clinical records analysis. Patients have specifically noted her ability to explain conditions clearly, her trustworthiness, and low wait times. Dr. Murray Orbuch, a gastroenterologist with nearly 20 years at Mount Sinai Medical Centers in New York, maintains a private practice focus on Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and celiac disease. 18 He also holds an appointment as Attending Physician and Assistant Professor at The Mount Sinai Hospital, which reported annual revenues in the $4 billion to $5 billion range and operates across 27 countries. 18

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, has been ranked the best gastroenterology and GI surgery hospital in the nation by U.S. News and World Report every year since 1990, when the rankings were first established. 19 The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Mayo carries an average of 63 active federal grants totaling more than $15 million annually, funded in part by the NIH. Edward Loftus, MD, a senior IBD clinician and Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic, is among the institution's most prominent Crohn's disease researchers and clinicians, practicing within a subspecialty structure that includes separate clinics for IBD in pregnancy, hepatitis, and motility disorders. 20

Specialist Selection Criteria and Structural Considerations

Board certification in gastroenterology from the American Board of Internal Medicine is a baseline qualification for any Crohn's disease specialist, but patients with complex or refractory disease should additionally seek physicians who have completed advanced IBD fellowships and who practice within multidisciplinary centers offering nutrition services, IBD psychology, colorectal surgery, and dedicated pharmacy support. 2 The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation maintains a provider directory to help patients locate specialists by region, and the American Gastroenterological Association provides a searchable database of board-certified gastroenterologists. 21 The American College of Gastroenterology also offers patient-facing resources for locating GI specialty care. 22

Geographic access to IBD subspecialists remains uneven across the United States, and patients in rural or underserved areas may need to consider telehealth consultations or referral to a regional academic center. Several specialists listed above, including Dr. Pola at Cleveland Clinic, offer virtual consultations alongside in-person care. Patients should also verify insurance acceptance before scheduling, as coverage varies widely even within the same health system. Evaluating a specialist's research engagement, clinical trial participation, and publication record can help identify physicians who stay current with evolving biologic and small molecule therapies central to modern Crohn's disease management. 12

Sources

1. North Shore Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Centers – northshoregastro.org
2. Crohn's and Colitis Foundation – crohnscolitisfoundation.org
3. Cleveland Clinic Provider Profile: Bret Lashner, MD – providers.clevelandclinic.org
4. Cleveland Clinic Provider Profile: Benjamin Cohen, MD – providers.clevelandclinic.org
5. Cleveland Clinic Provider Profile: Jean-Paul Achkar, MD – providers.clevelandclinic.org
6. Cleveland Clinic Provider Profile: Suresh Pola, MD – providers.clevelandclinic.org
7. Sandra Kim LinkedIn Profile – linkedin.com
8. Johns Hopkins Medicine Provider Profile: David Alejandro Muniz Pedrogo, MD, MS – profiles.hopkinsmedicine.org
9. PRWeb – Raymond K. Cross Named 2025 Medical Champion Award Recipient – prweb.com
10. Mass General Brigham Provider Profile: Joshua R. Korzenik, MD – doctors.massgeneralbrigham.org
11. University of Chicago Medicine – uchicagomedicine.org
12. Cleveland Clinic IBD Center – my.clevelandclinic.org
13. University of Miami Health Provider Profile: David Harris Kerman, MD – doctors.umiamihealth.org
14. UPMC Provider Profile: David George Binion, MD – providers.upmc.com
15. University of Utah Health Provider Profile: Amir Kashani, MD – healthcare.utah.edu
16. Mark Salem LinkedIn Profile – linkedin.com
17. Medical News Today Provider Profile: Laura Sahyoun, MD – connect.medicalnewstoday.com
18. Murray Orbuch LinkedIn Profile – linkedin.com
19. Mayo Clinic Gastroenterology and Hepatology – Expertise and Rankings – mayoclinic.org
20. Convene Health – Top Gastroenterologists in Minnesota – convenehealthcare.com
21. Crohn's and Colitis Foundation Provider Directory – crohnscolitisfoundation.org
22. American College of Gastroenterology Patient Resources – gi.org