Welcome to the Center for Health and Cancer Prevention

The Center for Health and Cancer Prevention (CHCP) is a gastroenterology or ’GI’ practice that focuses exclusively on:

1) Colon Cancer screenings (colonoscopy) and

2) Easy access to various diagnostic GI tests such as upper endoscopy, colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy and GI consultation. 

All procedures, screenings and evaluations are done exclusively on site in our private office by Dr. Keith Berger, M.D., who is Board Certified in Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine.  Dr. Berger’s training includes Harvard College, Duke University Medical Center, and Yale University. Dr. Berger has over 32 years of practice experience and has safely performed over 60,000 colonoscopies. 

Dr. Berger sees patients who are either self-referred to our office or whose primary care physician refers them. Patients also come to see us because of recommendations from their family, friends or colleagues.

1. Your primary care physician has recommended you get a screening colonoscopy because you are 50 or older or you have other factors that would put you at higher risk for cancer (e.g. someone in your family had colon polyps or colon cancer, you have a history of smoking, personal history of breast cancer, etc.).

2. You have a symptom like blood in your stool, or a change in bowel habits, unexplained abdominal pain, or anemia (low blood count) in which case your colon (large bowel) or stomach should be evaluated.

3. You have experienced unexplained weight loss or another symptom which could be an early sign of colon cancer.

4. One or more of your family member has had colon polyps or colon cancer.

5. You are having frequent heartburn, or difficulty swallowing, or another ‘upper’ abdominal symptom which requires upper endoscopy (a very brief procedure which visualizes your esophagus, stomach and small bowel) or specialized consultation by Dr. Berger.

About Our Office Endoscopy Center

All of our procedures and consultations are performed in our office based endoscopy center located on 1st Colonial Road near Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital. Our office is certified by the American Association of Ambulatory Healthcare Centers (AAAHC), and passes the same safety and quality measures as hospitals and outpatient surgery centers.

Why Our Center uses Nurse Anesthetists vs. Sedation

Patients undergoing colonoscopy or another procedure receive anesthesia from one of our experienced Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA’s). Most GI offices in the Tidewater area do not use anesthesia, but instead use conscious sedation, where you are given sedatives (vs. an anesthetic) and you are partially awake for the procedure.  Anesthesia, on the other hand, works more rapidly with complete sleep and comfort for the entire procedure, and you wake up more quickly with virtually no side effects. Dr. Berger pioneered the use of CRNA’s and anesthesia for GI procedures in the Tidewater area because he is committed to the utmost in patient comfort and safety.

At CHCP, our commitment is for you to have the safest, most comfortable and highest quality examination possible, in an environment where you, as a patient and customer, feel safe, appreciated and listened to.  We want everyone to be at ease, and leave our office having had a great experience!! If you would like to watch a video of me personally explaining colonoscopy and colon cancer screening, click [play] on the video below!