JOPLIN, Mo. – Dr. Harsh Duphare goes to great lengths to have conversations with his patients, to make them feel relaxed when answering their questions and concerns.

“Look, it’s my job to make my patients feel like they aren’t just numbers,” Dr. Duphare said. “My patients have come to me for a reason; they are suffering. They want a solution. They need me to be all ears. They want my undivided attention.”

This is why you will never see Dr. Duphare break eye contact during a conversation to jot down notes on a laptop or notepad.

“I like to hear people out. When I walk into a room, I want to look them in the eye when we talk; I shake their hand or put my hand on their shoulder to help break the ice,” Dr. Duphare said, who moved to the United States in 1992 from his native India. “That’s why I never take paper notes or have a laptop when I meet with them. I certainly wouldn’t want a doctor doing that with me if I were a patient.”

As Freeman’s newest gastroenterologist, Dr. Duphare works to diagnose, treat and prevent diseases of the stomach and other digestive-related organs.

Early in his career he was faced with a tough decision: Pursue a medical career centered around the heart or the stomach. He eventually chose the latter.

“Why? Because the human body’s digestive system is just so fascinating,” Dr. Duphare said with a chuckle. “With the heart there’s only one organ to deal with. With gastro, you not only have the stomach, but you have the esophagus, the small and large bowel, the liver, spleen, pancreas, gallbladder, bile ducts – all of these organs fall under gastroenterology. This is what makes it so exciting.”

Dr. Duphare is board certified with extensive experience in pancreatic disease and esophageal disorders. His specialty area is cancer staging using endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic bariatric intervention. By using an endoscope – a flexible tube with a lens at one end and a video camera on the other – Dr. Duphare can inspect, observe and treat various disorders while avoiding major surgeries.

Often, endoscopy evaluations can detect early signs of gastrointestinal cancer. Dr. Duphare can take biopsies of tumors and even remove those tumors while also relieving blockages caused by cancers.

“This helps my patients avoid major surgeries,” he said. “Endoscopic procedures means there’s much less pain someone has to deal with and lessens the time it takes the body to heal.”  

Dr. Duphare earned his medical degree from All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India. He completed his gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Wisconsin and residency in internal medicine at Michigan State University.

Dr. Harsh Duphare is accepting new patients at Freeman Gastroenterology, 1020 McIntosh Circle, Suite 200, Joplin. To schedule an appointment call 417.347-8025.