The Comprehensive Liver Program of Montefiore Einstein Center for Transplantation has announced the opening of its new office in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. At the Fair Lawn office, patients will be evaluated for all varieties of liver disease, including viral hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver cancer. Patients requiring more advanced treatment or liver transplantation will then be evaluated by an interdisciplinary team at one of Montefiore Medical Center’s hospitals. The new location will be led by Paul J. Gaglio, M.D., medical director of the Adult Liver Transplantation Program at the Montefiore Einstein Center for Transplantation, and professor of Clinical Medicine, Gastroenterology & Liver Diseases at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. 

“Montefiore recognizes that a medical practice with advanced expertise in liver disease and cirrhosis is needed in northern New Jersey and Bergen County,” said Dr. Gaglio. “At the new location, patients will have easy access to comprehensive consultative care for detection of any liver problem, evaluation for transplantation and full-service hepatology management for all varieties of liver disease.”

More than 30 million people in the U.S. -- or 1 in 10 Americans -- have liver disease, which includes hepatitis C, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and liver cancer. Five million Americans are infected with hepatitis C and more than 2 million Americans are infected with hepatitis B. Liver injury can be caused by genetics, viruses, unhealthy lifestyle choices or medicines and toxic chemicals. But many forms of liver disease are preventable, and many more can be treated effectively if detected early.

Transplant hepatologist Harmit S. Kalia, D.O., also will be joining the office. “One of our objectives is to detect problems early, before a patient develops cirrhosis and its end-stage complications,” said Dr. Kalia. “We can treat hepatitis C before it causes cirrhosis.” 

Dr. Gaglio is renowned for his work in liver transplantation and acute and chronic liver diseases, and was instrumental in establishing the liver transplantation program at Montefiore. He has been named one of the “Best Doctors in America” for more than a decade and as one of Castle Connolly’s “Top Doctors” in the New York metropolitan area for the past three years. In addition, he has been honored as Physician of the Year by the New York chapter of the American Liver Foundation. 

Dr. Gaglio is board-certified in transplant hepatology, gastroenterology and internal medicine. He previously served as medical director of adult liver transplantation at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Gaglio earned his medical degree and completed a digestive diseases fellowship at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). In addition, he completed his internal medicine internship and residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Currently, he is president of the board of directors of the New York Consortium for Liver Transplantation. 

Dr. Kalia received his medical degree from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his internal medicine internship, residency and a gastroenterology fellowship at UMDNJ, and an advanced hepatology fellowship at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. 

The office is located at 31-00 Broadway, Fairlawn, N.J 07410. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 718-920-6240 or after hours, 1-888-RX-Liver (888-795-4837).