By Tess Farmer
When Dr. Lori Robbins walks into a patient room, she brings something that has become increasingly rare in modern medicine: time. Time to listen. Time to ask the right questions. Time to find answers that others have missed.
It’s that commitment to truly hearing her patients that has earned Dr. Robbins the distinction of HealthLinks Magazine’s Top GI Doctor of the Year and the loyalty of a growing patient base across the Charleston area.
A partner at Palmetto GI since 2021, Dr. Robbins joined the practice in 2019, which was already known for its collaborative culture and commitment to individualized care.
“What makes our practice different is the people,” Robbins says. “We genuinely enjoy working together, not only as colleagues but as friends and that creates an environment where we’re constantly sharing ideas and helping each other provide the best possible care.”
With physicians trained at programs across the country, the team brings a breadth of perspective that benefits every patient who walks through the door. Dr. Robbins’ path to gastroenterology began with a different destination in mind. Growing up with two sisters and parents who instilled in her a belief that there were no limits to what she could achieve, she initially set her sights on obstetrics and gynecology. It wasn’t until a GI rotation in medical school that shifted everything.
“I immediately fell in love with the field,” she said. “I loved the combination of problem-solving, procedures and building long-term relationships with patients.”
She also noticed something else: women were significantly underrepresented in gastroenterology. Rather than be discouraged, she saw an opportunity to improve care for women in a specialty that affects them uniquely, and to help grow female leadership in the field. Today, Palmetto GI holds a distinction that no other practice in the Charleston area can claim: it is the only private gastroenterology practice with not one, but two female gastroenterologists on staff.
The work that motivates Dr. Robbins the most is the kind that changes lives. She frequently sees patients who have spent years being told their symptoms are “just anxiety” or something they simply have to live with.
“When we take the time to really listen, do a thorough evaluation and find the underlying cause, it’s incredibly rewarding to see those patients finally get their lives back,” she says. That dedication to thoroughness and compassion is what sets her apart in a field where patients often feel unheard.
She is equally passionate about prevention. With colorectal cancer now the leading cause of cancer-related death in adults under 50 years of age, Dr. Robbins takes the lifesaving potential of colonoscopies seriously.
“We have the opportunity to prevent cancer, not just treat it,” she says. “Knowing that a procedure I perform today may prevent a cancer diagnosis years from now is something that continues to motivate me every day.”
Since joining Palmetto GI, the practice has grown rapidly and expanded with a new location in Mount Pleasant bringing this exceptional standard of care closer to even more Lowcountry families.
For Dr. Robbins, the reward is simple, seeing people get their lives back. And in the Lowcountry, she’s doing exactly that.
