Jessica H. Elkins, PA-C

"I want to help patients balance their hereditary disposition with their current health and lifestyle habits so they can be empowered when it comes to their own health."

A board-certified physician assistant, Jessica Elkins brings her experience and passion for gastroenterology and how it connects processes throughout the human body to Beaufort Memorial Lowcountry Medical Group Specialty Care. The Beaufort native works alongside the practice’s board-certified gastroenterologists in the Okatie office.

Areas of Expertise

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) – A disorder that causes issues in your large intestine, including abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea and gas.
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) – Chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that can cause blood in the stools, stomach pain and weight loss. Two primary types of IBD are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
• Liver Disease – There are over 100 known liver diseases, including hepatitis A, B and C, liver cancer and liver failure caused by cirrhosis, malnutrition or poisoning.
• Gallbladder Disease – Any condition that affects the gallbladder or the ducts that carry bile from the gallbladder to the intestine, including gallstones, bile duct stones and acute cholecystitis.
• Cancer Prevention – Some gastrointestinal cancers, such as colorectal cancer, are common and can be prevented with appropriate screening.

Background

From a young age, Ms. Elkins knew she wanted to work in medicine and was initially set on a career in dentistry after being accepted to Lander University. Shortly after, she realized she wanted more patient interaction. She started down the physician assistant path and found it to be a good fit.

After shadowing in the gastroenterology department at Bon Secours St. Francis Health System in Greenville, S.C., Ms. Elkins found her interest sparked by gastroenterology’s role in connecting the human body’s immune and nervous systems.

Her upbringing in Beaufort instilled in Ms. Elkins a love for the outdoors. She enjoys getting out into nature, whether it’s fishing, hunting, mushroom foraging or scuba diving.