Gastroenterology. During this time, he performed overseas tours in South Korea as well as Iraq, where he completed a one year assignment as an infantry Battalion Surgeon in Ramadi, receiving a Combat Medical Badge and Bronze Star Medal. Following completion of his deployment duties, he was appointed as a Clinical Instructor at the University of California, San Francisco where he completed advanced training in 2006. In 2007, Raj completed his Army service in Hawaii and relocated to Bellevue, joining private practice and the medical staff at Overlake Medical Center. Raj has served in various leadership roles at Overlake, including being elected as Chief of the Medical Staff and serving on the Board of Trustees. He is currently a Partner at Washington Gastroenterology / GI Alliance. Raj is married to Mona, a dentist, and they have two teenage sons. In his spare time, he enjoys travel, skiing, concerts and just about every kind of Old School music from the 80s onward!
Board Member
Anand Singla, M.D.
Clinical Associate Professor
University of Washington
Division of Gastroenterology
Board Member
Andrew Ross, M.D.
Executive Medical Director of the Center for Digestive Health Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
Board Member
Cynthia W. Ko M.D., M.S.
University of Washington
Board Member
Christine Pizzute M.D.
Kaiser Permanente
Board Member
Kunjali T. Padhya, M.D.
Providence Swedish
Director of the Board
Harry L. Teicher, M.D.
Swedish Medical Group
Meet Our President
Board Member
Steven Kaptik, MD
Washington Gastroenterology / GI Alliance
Raj Butani, M.D. FACP, FACG
Washington Gastroenterology / GI Alliance
Past Chief of Staff, Overlake Medical Center
Raj was born and raised in New Jersey, and attended the 6-year combined degree B.A./M.D program at Lehigh University and the Medical College of Pennsylvania (now Drexel University College of Medicine). He then completed his Internal Medicine residency and GI fellowship at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. He subsequently spent five years at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he served as Assistant Chief of
Board Member
Jack Brandabur, M.D., FASGE
Advanced Interventional Gastroenterology Services
Prosser Memorial Health
Board Member
Andrew D. Feld, M.D., J.D., FACG, AGAF
Kaiser Permanente
Clinical Professor of Medicine,
University of Washington
Division of Gastroenterology
Executive Director
Shelly Reid, M.B.A.
PNWGS
Board Member
Joo Ha Hwang, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Medicine
Professor of Surgery (by courtesy)
Director, Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgery
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Stanford Medicine
Blaire E. Burman, M.D.
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
Blaire was born and raised in Seattle where she attended public schools, graduated from Brown University with degrees in Community health and Africana studies, then attended University of Washington School of Medicine. She completed residency in internal medicine at Columbia Presbyterian and her GI and hepatology fellowship at University of California San Francisco. She joined Virginia Mason as her first position out of fellowship and currently serves as the Section Head for Gastroenterology and Associate Program Director for the GI Fellowship training program. Her research interests include alcohol related liver disease, viral hepatitis, and liver cancer, with a focus on disparities in access to care and outcomes. She has two kids, 6 and 9, and lives in View Ridge.
Meet Our Board of Directors
Contact Us
We love to hear from our members. Please reach out to our Executive Director, Shelly Reid with any questions, suggestions or comments.
We're also looking for existing members that may wish to be involved with PNWGS, and for revolving positions that may be available on our Board of Directors.
P.O. Box 17622
Seattle, WA 98127
206.310.5148
Meet Our Immediate Past President
The PNWGS is an educational society representing a membership of over 200 gastroenterologists located primarily in Western Washington. We are a 501 (c)(3) Not for Profit organization, incorporated in the State of Washington.
The membership includes adult and pediatric gastroenterologists practicing in both academic and private arenas. In addition, surgeons and pathologists with an interest in gastrointestinal surgery and gastrointestinal pathology may participate. GI RN's and Mid-Level Providers specializing in the field are also able to join.