Homan A. Zadeh M.D., MPH

Homan A. Zadeh M.D., M.P.H.

Dr. Zadeh graduated from Palm Springs High School in 1987. He finished his Bachelor of Science degree from University of California Irvine in 1991. He then went on to Wayne State University and received his MD degree in 1995. He came back to University of California Irvine for his internship and residency in internal medicine and his fellowship in gastroenterology from 1995 to 2001. He also received his Masters in Public Health from UCLA in 2001. He is the Section Chief of Gastroenterology at Desert Regional Medical Center since 2012. He performs Upper Endoscopy, Colonoscopy, Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), Percutanous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Placement (PEG), and Capsule Endoscopy. He is the first Gastroenterologist in the Coachella Valley to perform fecal transplant procedure for a patient with reccurent c. diff. Infection. He is also the only Gastroenterologist in the Coachella Valley performing the ReShape weight loss procedure. He also has a special interest in treating patients with various liver diseases, especially Hepatitis C and is Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, he is also an Assistant Clinical Professor at Western University of Health Sciences.

Martin J. Collen, MD, MBA

Dr. Collen is an internationally recognized physician who was born in Oakland, California and grew up in Los Angeles. During the more than 30 years of Dr. Collen’s training and academic association in medicine, he has authored more than 250 original research and review publications, including books, articles, and abstracts. He graduated with a B.A. in Mathematics from UCLA in 1966, and attended Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University School of Medicine and Science, Chicago, Illinois, graduating in 1970 with an MD degree. He completed a year of internship in medicine and a year of residency in general surgery at UC, Irvine, and then went on to complete an additional two years of residency in Internal Medicine and two years of fellowship in Gastroenterology at UCLA, finishing in 1977. He was an Assistant Professor of Medicine at UC, Irvine from 1977-1980, and was Instructor of the Year for two successive years. He completed a research fellowship in Gastroenterology from 1980-1985 at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and was Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of GI Research at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC from 1985-1990. He moved back to California in 1990, where he was Professor of Medicine at Loma Linda University from 1990-1995 and Clinical Professor of Medicine from 1995-2005. He earned an Executive MBA in Health Care from UC, Irvine in 1999. Dr. Collen has been in private practice as a Gastroenterologist since 1995. He is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American College of Gastroenterology.

Matthew Elliott, PA-C

Matthew Elliott is a board-certified Physician Assistant who has been working in the medical field since 2004. A native Texan, he started his medical career earning his Associates Degree of Applied Science as an Emergency Medical Technician. A short time later, he became certified with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians as a Paramedic in Lubbock, Texas in 2004. He returned to school and studied nursing at the Covenant School of Nursing and became a Registered Nurse in 2009. As a Registered Nurse, he worked in a variety of settings such as the Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Department. Matthew continued his education and graduated Magna Cum Laude with his Bachelor’s degree of Science in Biology at Lubbock Christian University while working as an RN in 2011. He then decided to take a break from school and traveled throughout California working as a travel nurse in a variety of hospitals from San Diego to San Luis Obispo. Matthew’s passion for medicine brought him back to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley where he earned his Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies in 2017. Throughout his academic career, has been on the Dean’s and President’s lists for his exemplary academic abilities. He has been inducted in the Pi Alpha Honor Society for Physician Assistants and Phi Kappa Theta Mu- International Honors Society. He is a member of the California Academy of Physician Assistants and the American Academy of Physician Assistants.

Vijay Agarwal, MD

Dr Agarwal received his MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery) degree in 1977 and MD (Doctor of Medicine) degree in 1981 from Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, India. He migrated to the USA in 1983. He completed Internal Medicine Residency in 1987 from Framingham (Boston University) and Fellowship in Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition in 1989 from Veterans Administration Medical Center (Boston University). He joined University of New Mexico Medical Center in June 1989 as Assistant Professor of Medicine (Gastroenterology) and was in charge of Laparoscopy and Motility Studies. During his tenure there, he conducted basic research in “The Role of Short Chain Fatty Acids in Diversion Colitis” and “Role of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in Hepatic Encephalopathy”. He joined FHP in December 1992 and was Section Chief from June 1993 until early 1996 until FHP closed its Specialty Clinics. He then formed his own practice group in Albuquerque, New Mexico and he practiced there until early 2019 . He performs all diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures including esophageal manometry, anorectal manometry and capsule endoscopy. He moved to Palm Springs, CA in 2019 to join Dr Homan Zadeh and Dr Martin Collen in their practice.

Ethan Bortniker, MD

Dr Ethan Bortniker completed the 7 year BA/MD program at Boston University followed by internal medicine residency at Boston Medical Center. After a year as a hospitalist Dr Bortniker pursued Gastroenterology fellowship at University of Connecticut where he stayed on as facility for 3 years actively participating in teaching, research activities in colon cancer prevention, director of motility program, and earned an MBA from UConn. In 2019 life brought Dr Bortniker to the sunshine of southern California where he Joined facility at UCSD and San Diego VA. Dr Bortniker has pursued additional clinical training in medical hypnotherapy for patients with Gastrointestinal disorders. Dr Bortniker practices general Gastroenterology with an interest in motility, disorders of the brain gut access, prevention of GI tract cancers, liver disease, and general endoscopy including colonoscopy, egd, and capsule endoscopy.