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Since arriving in Kentucky, Dr. Tuvlin has been an active member in the Jewish Community of Louisville, helping to design programming for Jewish teens.
“Working with the JCL has been very rewarding. I found a kind
of niche through programming. I was very interested in looking
for gaps where we weren’t reaching people. That’s what draws
me to the organization,” said Dr. Tuvlin, who helped prompt the
organization to hire a teen programming director. “Since then,
the program has really blossomed. I’ve seen it progress to where
thinking of teens has become second nature.”
Dr. Tuvlin now sits on the Jewish Community Center Association’s national board, and was recently able to submit Louisville
as a pilot city for new outdoor and food related programs. “It’s
a whole new concept that we got funding to start, and it will put
Louisville at the forefront of this idea which is very cool.”
Although the Tuvlin family has been active in the JCL, and both
he and his wife won the organization’s Cole Award for Youth Leadership, he doesn’t consider himself overly religious. “My faith is
just a part of who I am. It’s something I’m very comfortable with
and proud of. I love the traditions, I love being a part of that community.”
His oldest son Andrew will soon be traveling to Israel, mirroring
a trip that Dr. Tuvlin himself took at 16. “It’s really interesting to
see life come full circle to where I was at his age.”
In 2009, Dr. Tuvlin began a partnership with Jewish Hospital and
founded the Center for Gastrointestinal Health in the East End. At
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LOUISVILLE MEDICINE
the time, he was the first hospital employed gastroenterologist in
Louisville. Dr. Tuvlin specializes in the treatment of inflammatory
bowel disease (Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis) and regularly speaks locally and nationally on the topic.
“It was a unique opportunity for me,” he recalled, “because there
was no model for how it should be done. I met with Jewish hospital. I talked about what my goals were. They talked about what
their needs were and we made it together. It was actually a really
good example of a partnership. Now there’s so many metrics that
it’s a little formulaic. But building this practice with less restrictions was exciting.”
Dr. Tuvlin said his main goal for the Center was that it be an
office with more access for the patients.
“Prior to starting my own group, I felt like we were always running to cover emergencies and put out fires. I wanted an outpatient practice for patients to be seen and do more of the face-toface doctoring I went to medical school for. I think we figured
out a nice balance.” Dr. Tuvlin shared his practice originally with
the late Dr. Lesley Campbell, and now with Dr. Jon Goldstein and
several nurse practitioners.
When not working, he loves to travel with his family, visit the
theater, read, exercise at Orange Theory and attend his sons’ basketball and tennis matches.
Aaron Burch is the communications specialist for the Greater Louisville Medical Society.