MEDICAL EXPERTISE: “We have really brought big city medicine to suburban New Jersey. We are committed to remaining on the cutting edge of clinical thyroidology.” Jason M. Hollander, MD, founder of Endocrinology Associates of Princeton, LLC, is aware of the latest developments in the field to help his patients.

January is Thyroid Awareness Month. Chances are many people are unaware of that, and perhaps have not given much thought to the thyroid either.

Jason M. Hollander, MD, founder of Endocrinology Associates of Princeton, LLC, wants to change that. As an expert in diagnosing and treating thyroid problems, as well as diabetes, he wants people to be informed and aware.

“We are committed to building strong doctor-patient relationships based on mutual respect and open communication. We hope that every treatment plan is the product of collaboration between an informed patient and a knowledgeable physician.”

Dr. Hollander loves what he does, and he strives to be as knowledgeable and expert a physician as possible.

Focus on Excellence

That focus on excellence has been evident from the time he was a student at Princeton Day School, and later graduated with honors from Princeton University. He received his MD from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), again graduating with honors, and was awarded membership to Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA), the highest honor bestowed on a graduating medical student.

Dr. Hollander completed a combined residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City, and served as chief resident from 2003-2004. After working as an emergency room physician in downtown Manhattan, he returned to Mt. Sinai to complete a Fellowship in endocrinology. He is board-certified in endocrinology, internal medicine, pediatrics, clinical nutrition, and clinical nutrition support.

Completing the Fellowship in 2007, he returned to Princeton, where he had grown up, and was intent upon bringing academic endocrinology to suburban New Jersey. He opened Endocrinology Associates of Princeton at 601 Ewing Street in 2010.

“The reason I like endocrinology is that we practically never give a patient bad news,” he explains. Most thyroid conditions, for example, can be controlled by medication, and if it is thyroid cancer, the thyroid can be removed, offering a very encouraging outlook.

Endocrinology is the study of the endocrine system. The endocrine system is comprised of glands, which are organs that produce hormones, such as insulin, testosterone, growth hormone, epinephrine (also know as adrenalin), and thyroid hormone.

“The bulk of my practice is treating thyroid problems and diabetes,” says Dr. Hollander, while noting that osteoporosis and low testosterone are other conditions often seen at Endocrinology Associates of Princeton.

Positive Results

Thyroid problems, including under- and over-active thyroid, are common, more so among women, he reports. With proper diagnosis and treatment, they can be controlled, and Dr. Hollander’s expertise and methods are helping numerous patients gain positive results.

“I’m a clinician,” he points out. “It’s hands-on, not research. I see patients six days a week, every week. The more patients I see, the more I learn, and the better physician I become. I always look forward to that very unique case that you may see once in a lifetime.”

Dr. Hollander brings the most advanced knowledge and the most advanced equipment to the practice. His emphasis on providing the best care is evidenced in his being the first endocrinologist in the region to perform ultrasound-guided fine needle aspirations of suspicious thyroid nodules. He was also the first physician in New Jersey to employ a novel gene classifier to reduce the number of unneeded thyroid surgeries.

He has earned the prestigious ECNU certification, a professional certification in the field of ultrasonography. ECNU is recognized by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, a pre-eminent national accreditation body for ultrasound practice. It allows those with the ECNU accreditation to be directors of ultrasound laboratories.

Fastest-Growing

“I love endocrinology,” he states. “I’m very interested in thyroid cancer and the future of genetics relating to it. The incidence of thyroid cancer is the fastest growing of any other cancer. We are picking up much smaller cancers by the advanced technology of today.”

Nodules, which are lumps in the thyroid gland, are very common, and most are benign. If a nodule is malignant, the thyroid gland is typically removed surgically, explains Dr. Hollander, and the outlook is usually very good.

Thyroid nodules are usually discovered by the family physician, patient, or sometimes when the patient has a carotid artery test or MRI of the neck. Once it has been discovered, and if it is suspicious, Dr. Hollander will perform ultrasound tests and fine needle biopsies to determine if it is malignant. He personally performs every neck ultrasound.

As this is Thyroid Awareness Month, he recommends that individuals “be aware of any symptoms, such as fatigue, weight gain, and hair loss. It is also good to have the doctor examine the thyroid during your annual physical check-up. And, if people have a history of thyroid cancer in their family, they should have an ultrasound.”

Dr. Hollander is proud of his work and that his practice has grown to two locations, the Princeton office and another at 3100 Princeton Pike in Lawrenceville.

“I hung out my shingle in 2010, and now, there are three of us in the practice, with a fourth physician coming in the spring. It is very rewarding to do something I love to do and find that people are so appreciative.”

Endocrinology Associates of Princeton is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 to 1. Princeton office: (609) 924-4433; Lawrenceville: (609) 896-0075. Website: www.princ
etonendocrinology.com.