James M. Church, MD
Locations and Appointments
CUIMC/Herbert Irving Pavilion
Insurances Accepted
Before your appointment, please contact the doctor's office or your insurance provider to verify that your insurance is accepted. This list of insurances can change, and the insurance plans listed may not be accepted at all office locations for this provider.
About James M. Church, MD
James Church, MD is a colorectal surgeon who cares for all aspects of colorectal disease, with a particular focus on hereditary colorectal cancers and polyposis. Born and raised in New Zealand, Dr. Church did his medical school, postgraduate research and general surgical training in Auckland before training in colorectal surgery at the Cleveland Clinic and eventually joining the faculty there. Over the 34 years that followed, he played an instrumental role in developing what was widely considered the finest Department of Colorectal Surgery in the world.
Dr. Church has been co-Investigator of the Collaborative Colorectal Cancer Family Registry, funded by a research grant from the National Cancer Institute. In addition, he has served as the Chairman of the Leeds Castle Polyposis Group and the International Collaborative Group on Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colorectal Cancer and President of the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Colorectal Cancer. These international societies are dedicated to the care of patients with inherited colorectal cancer and research into their disease.
Dr. Church's other areas of interests include colonoscopy, functional colorectal and anal problems including constipation and incontinence, perianal and perineal infections and inflammatory bowel disease. As head of the Section of Endoscopy at Cleveland Clinic, he helped develop several advances in the art of colonoscopy for the benefit of patients. He is also deeply commitment to education and is currently a Fellow of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, Costa Rican Society of Surgery, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, American College of Gastroenterology, American Surgical Association and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow.
Specialties & Expertise
- Anal Cancer
- Anal Fistula
- Anal Incontinence
- Bowel Incontinence
- Colon Cancer
- Colon Polyps
- Colonoscopy
- Colorectal Cancer
- Colorectal Surgery
- Constipation
- Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP)
- Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC)
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
- Lynch Syndrome
- Pelvic Floor Disorders
- Perianal and Perineal Infections
- Rectal Cancer
Leadership, Titles & Positions
- Director of Research, Section Head of Hereditary Cancer and Familial Polyposis, Division of Colorectal Surgery
- Professor of Surgery at CUMC
Hospital Affiliations
- NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Awards & Honors
- 1999 2020: Top Doctors in America
- 2004: Lifetime Achievement Award, Collaborative Group of the Americas, For Inherited Colorectal Cancer
- 2007 2020: Top Surgeons in America
- 2008 2020: Patients Choice Award
- 2011 2020: Americas Top Doctors for Cancer
- 2013 2020: Compassionate Doctors Award