Esther Israel, MD
Esther Israel, MD
Esther Israel, MD
Esther Israel, MD
Associate Unit Chief, Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition and Quality Chair, Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital
Chief, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Newton-Wellesley Hospital
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
Chief, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Newton-Wellesley Hospital
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
About Esther Israel, MD
Dr. Israel was born and bred in Brooklyn, NY. After graduating from Brooklyn College with a BS in chemistry, Phi Beta Kappa, she attended John Hopkins University Medical School, obtaining her MD in 1979 and honored by Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. She did her residency training in Pediatrics at Hopkins and Columbia University in the City of New York, becoming board certified in Pediatrics. She then came up to Boston, to Massachusetts General Hospital, to train as a Pediatric Gastroenterologist where she has served on staff since 1985 and has been continuously board certified. Dr. Israel has served in many roles at Mass General. Presently she is the Associate Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition and the Quality Chair of the Department of Pediatrics. She has been instrumental in bringing Family-Centered bedside rounding to the inpatient service at Mass General, and elevating the profile of quality improvement and patient safety throughout pediatrics.
Clinical Interests:
- Diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy
- Failure to thrive
- Food allergy
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Liver disease
- Liver transplant
- Neonatal gastroenterology
Treats:
- Pediatrics
Languages:
- French, Hebrew, Yiddish
Locations
Mass General for Children: Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition Program
55 Fruit St.
Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care
Suite 6B
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 617-726-8705
Mass General for Children at Newton Wellesley Hospital
2014 Washington St.
South Building
6th Floor
Newton, MA 02462
Phone: 617-243-6585
Medical Education
- MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Residency, Columbia Presbyterian Med. Ctr.
- Residency, Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Fellowship, Boston Children's Hospital
- Fellowship, Massachusetts General Hospital
American Board Certifications
- Pediatric Gastroenterology, American Board of Pediatrics
- Pediatrics, American Board of Pediatrics
Accepted Insurance Plans
- Aetna
- Beech Street
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare
- Cigna
- Commonwealth Care Alliance
- Coventry
- Fallon Health
- Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
- Humana
- Maine Community Health Options
- Mass General Brigham Health Plan
- MassHealth
- Medicaid CT
- Medicaid ME
- Medicaid NH
- Medicaid RI
- Medicaid VT
- Medicare
- Medicare ACO
- Multiplan
- Railroad Medicare
- Senior Whole Health
- TriCare
- Tufts Health Plan
- United Health Care
- Wellpoint
- WellSense
- WellSense NH
Note: This provider may accept more insurance plans than shown; please call the practice to find out if your plan is accepted.
Research
Dr. Israel's current research examines different aspects of the quality of care provided to pediatric patients. She collaborates with colleagues in radiology to innovatively look at different imaging modalities to assess pediatric patients with diseases related to their gastrointestinal system and liver.
Recent studies include the use of CT colonography and MR enterography as noninvasive diagnostic tools in the management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. The use of ultrasound elastography to assess liver fibrosis is presently being studied.
Research related to the quality of care given to pediatric patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease has been of particular interest to the Division of Pediatric GI and Nutrition. Dr. Israel is the co-Principal Investigator of the MGHfC ImproveCareNow (ICN) study, as a participant in the national ICN Quality Improvement Collaborative.
Dr. Israel has led the Division's quest for determining parameters for a quality pediatric colonoscopy. She has presented on this at national meetings.
Earlier in her career, Dr. Israel was instrumental in the discovery of the unique role of the neonatal Fc receptor in protecting IgG antibody clearance. Recent pharmacologic and therapeutic advances have capitalized on this concept leading to clinical application in hemophilia.