Why We Are Called 'the Butt Hutt'

 

By Jon Rosser, MD, FACS, FASCRS

It’s not everyday that you go to an appointment at a doctors’ office known as the “Butt Hutt.” It’s quick and easy to say, and it definitely stands out. It makes sense...we are known for our colorectal services, but there’s a lot more behind the name than you might know.

Here is a look at the nickname as Dr. Rosser answers some on the questions we commonly hear.

Where did the nickname come from, and how long has it been around?  

Dr. Dan Coyle, the founding member of Alabama Colon and Rectal Institute, P.C. and some of the original nurses began calling our clinic the “Butt Hutt” not long after we opened the portion of the facility where we do our colonoscopies and surgery in 1996. It came about as much for our anorectal surgery such as hemorrhoidectomies as it did for our colonoscopies.

The late Dr. Coyle always mixed a sense of humor with the seriousness of his work. Originally, the “Butt Hutt” was intended to be a name used between our employees because it was much easier to say and shorter than our corporate name. Over the years though, it has been passed on to the hospital nurses, patients and even the community.

Do you like being called the Butt Hutt? Seems like something you need to have a sense of humor about…

I think we now say “Butt Hutt” without even thinking about it. Our specialty is Colon and Rectal Surgery which starts…..or ends more accurately, at the butt!

Years ago, some of our patients began asking for a “souvenir” after their right of passage (colonoscopy), and the nurses began designing and purchasing t-shirts patients can get after their procedures. On it is The Butt Hutt, our logo (outhouse), and a humorous phrase such as “#1 in the #2 business” or “We stand behind our work.”

I do think adding some humor to a serious cause such as colorectal cancer screening helps ease the anxiety patients experience, but it must be balanced with professionalism.

How many colonoscopies you do in a year?

We perform over 3,000 procedures a year in our office clinic; about 70% colonoscopies and 30% anorectal surgery and other outpatient procedures. We also perform some outpatient procedures; all inpatient procedures and consultations are performed at four Birmingham metropolitan hospitals.

Why do people like the Butt Hutt so much?  

Probably because of the quality of care our patients get from all aspects of their encounter. All of our doctors have two board certifications, both in General Surgery and Colon & Rectal Surgery. Our nurses and staff are all certified in their respective fields, and our clinic is certified by the AAAASF (The American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, Inc.), the gold standard in accreditation of ambulatory surgery centers.

Benefits of AAAASF certification are:

• Holds outpatient and office-based facilities to hospital standards
• Requires surgeons to be board certified and have hospital privileges for any procedure they perform
• Requires the use of anesthesia professionals for deeper levels of anesthesia
• Requires a safe and clean surgical environment that meets stringent standards
• Requires peer review (peer oversight) and tracks data for thousands of individual cases
• Works closely with facilities and provide help throughout the accreditation process
• Champions patient safety worldwide and has for nearly 40 years

Why do I even need to have a colonoscopy?

Colonoscopies save lives! Colon cancers begin as benign polyps that can be removed during a colonoscopy to prevent colon cancer. Other screening tests are less accurate at detecting the precancerous polyps and are marketed as colon cancer detectors. All adults - male and female - should have a colonoscopy at age 50, sometimes sooner if there are additional risk factors such as family history. There is a big push in the medical community to change the starting age to 45.

Why should I come to the Butt Hutt instead of going somewhere else?

We offer the convenience of a doctor’s office, a few steps away from your parked car, while offering the safety and quality of an AAAASF certified surgery facility. Our clinic definitely benefits from our quality, safe, cost efficient, and streamlined process. Our location is in a convenient, centralized part of downtown Birmingham near Regions Field. Several of our nurses and staff have been with us for the entire 21+ years I have been here, and others were handpicked because of their qualifications.

We have many patients that comment on the ease, both physically and psychologically, of their experience with “The Butt Hutt.”

Alabama Colon & Rectal Institute (also known as the “Butt Hutt” around town!) has been in practice since 1990 as a free standing, private practice located in downtown Birmingham, Alabama.  We are known for our efficiency and patient care, in a more relaxed office-based setting.  Our doctors are known regionally for their expertise and are active in teaching surgical residents and other physicians.  We are also a major sponsor of The Rumpshaker 5K, a race that promotes awareness about colorectal cancer.  Check out our website for more information, or give us a call to make an appointment at (205) 458-5000, or email us at [email protected].