Board of Directors and Executive Officers
Robynne Chutkan, MD, FASGE (Founder)
Dr. Robynne Chutkan founded
GUTRUNNERS™ because of her commitment to
educating her patients and helping them live longer, healthier, more enriched lives. She attended Yale University and received her
medical degree from Columbia in 1991. She did her residency at Columbia and her Gastroenterology fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital. In
1997 she joined the faculty in the Gastroenterology division at Georgetown Hospital. She is a past Chair of
the ASGE Training Committee and served on the Governing Board from 2006 to 2009. Dr. Chutkan's private
practice - The Digestive Center for Women - is an integrative practice that includes nutritional consultation,
exercise physiology and biofeedback. She is a frequent medical expert on the Dr Oz show, a Medical Advisory
Board member for Ladies Home Journal and a contributing expert to
www.doctorOz.com and
sharecare.com.
Christopher Gostout, MD, FASGE
Dr. Christopher Gostout currently practices gastroenterology in Rochester, Minnesota at the Mayo Clinic
where he is the director of developmental endoscopy. He received his medical degree from the State
University of New York and completed his residency at the Mayo Clinic. He served as President of the
American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) from 2004-2005 and is a nationally and
internationally renowned gastroenterologist. Dr. Gostout has been a pioneer in the field of therapeutic and
experimental endoscopy.
Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., Esq.
Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is currently the senior managing director of Lazard Freres & Co. LLC in New York. He was
previously president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League, executive director of the United
Negro College Fund, Inc., and director of the Voter Education Project of the Southern Regional Council. He
served as chairman of the Clinton Presidential Transition Team in 1992 and is senior counsel at Akin Gump
Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP. Mr. Jordan earned his B.A in political science from DePauw University and his J.D
from Howard University. He has had a distinguished law and activism career throughout the past fifty years
and has played key roles in major civil rights cases throughout history. Mr. Jordan also served as an advisor
to President Bill Clinton during his presidency and remains active in politics today.
Ida Bergstrom, MD
Dr. Ida Bergstrom is a specialist in Bariatric Medicine focusing on the treatment of obesity, nutritional medicine,
and eating disorders. Dr. Bergstrom graduated from Denison University in Ohio. She received her medical degree
from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine residency at
Georgetown University. She continued at Georgetown to pursue a Primary Care Fellowship while also obtaining
her MBA degree. After receiving further training in Bariatric Medicine, she began a clinic in downtown Washington,
DC to focus on the nutritional needs of her patients. Her medical practice comes from a strong personal
commitment to nutrition, fitness, health and the desire to empower others to achieve their own personal goals.
Kay Twomey, Executive Director
Kay Twomey has served as Executive Director of Gutrunners since June, 2010. With years of experience working in healthcare and with nonprofits and foundations, Kay is a highly involved and critical member of Gutrunners' leadership team and is intimately involved with our vision, strategy and success. Before joining Gutrunners, her work helped to shape the national dialogue on critical topics such as colorectal cancer (CRC), viral hepatitis and gender and sex-based differences in medicine. She worked with leaders across various fields-from science to entertainment—to raise awareness of CRC; to publicize the deadliness, yet preventability, of the disease; to secure the designation of March as National Colorectal Cancer Month; and to develop the universal symbol for CRC. She is focused on expanding our national educational initiatives, building collaborations and broadening our corporate relationships.
