Bridget C. Godwin, MD

Patients are so much more than medical profiles to Bridget Godwin, MD. As a physician at CHOP, Dr. Godwin has sought out further training in integrative medicine, which takes account of the whole person in developing treatments.

Integrative medicine looks not only to Western medicine but also to other healing traditions from around the world, for guidance. Dr. Godwin finds this approach compatible with her own outlook and convictions about practicing medicine.

“Every patient is different,” says Dr. Godwin. “You can’t just apply the same plan to every individual. You need to make sure you really turn your attention to the patient during each visit and try to figure out the approach that best fits their lifestyle, their beliefs about healthcare, and their beliefs about nutrition, and meet them where they are.”

A lifelong interest in wellness practices and nutrition — partially inspired by the struggles of a family member who had Crohn’s disease — made gastrointestinal medicine an appealing field to Dr. Godwin.

“I really love to talk about food!” says Dr. Godwin, “and I love to talk about nutrition and general wellness as an approach to medical treatment. Because its connection to food and nutrition is so direct, GI naturally lends itself to a nutritional, wellness approach.”

Working at CHOP offers fascinating variety, says Dr. Godwin. Her patients range in age from infancy to their early 20s, and she sees “kids who are mostly healthy and just need a little guidance as well as some who have very serious problems.”

“I focus on GI and allergy, which gives me a lot of opportunities to talk about food and nutrition as therapy, but I treat a wide variety of conditions.”

Her activities are varied, as well: “I treat patients in clinic and as inpatients; and I have the opportunity to do endoscopic procedures. And of course, at CHOP, there’s always an opportunity to do research and teaching and academic collaboration, and I love that.”

Dr. Godwin’s current research agenda focuses on two of the many conditions she treats: eosinophilic esophagitis and food-protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome, or FPIES.

One project examines outcomes for patients with eosinophilic esophagitis in CHOP’s second-opinion clinic.” We’re looking at how quickly we get patients into remission,” says Dr. Godwin.

FPIES, the subject of the second study, is a relatively new diagnosis, Dr. Godwin notes. “Many children with FPIES also have other gastrointestinal conditions. We are looking at how frequently an FPIES diagnosis co-occurs with each of several other diagnoses, in hopes of finding patterns that may help physicians diagnose FPIES so that patients can get appropriate treatment sooner.”

An open mind and a keen eye for treatment possibilities are essential to practice in a rapidly evolving field. Dr. Godwin is enthusiastic about new developments.

“For both allergic conditions and IBD, there are new medications coming that are potentially life-changing,” Dr. Godwin says.

Watching lives change may be the greatest privilege of working at CHOP, Dr. Godwin says. “Getting to know patients and developing relationships with them over the years is deeply satisfying,” she says. “It’s a gift.”