Kristina F. Skarbinski, NP has been a nurse practitioner in the Massachusetts General Hospital Gastroenterology Department since 2014 after graduating from Simmons University in 2013. She was awarded the honor of Outstanding Nurse Practitioner at MGH in November 2018 and has been a nominee for the Service Excellence Individual Award in 2016 and Disability Champion Award in 2017 given her passion to help patients who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Her primary focus is treating patients who have upper GI and swallowing disorders. Her clinical interests include Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, esophageal disorders and esophageal hypersensitivity as well as gastroparesis, functional dyspepsia, cyclic vomiting syndrome, chronic abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, IBS and fecal incontinence. While she has been a clinician in the Neurointestinal and Motility Center, she is also the Lead Advanced Practice Provider for the Swallowing, Heartburn and Esophageal Disease (SHED) Center.  In her unique role, she provides expert clinical care and patient esophageal disease management both within the Gastroenterology and GI Surgery Departments. She has been a valuable resource for patients who need both medical and surgical management for their esophageal disease/diagnosis. She is actively involved in research as well as educational initiatives where she has published articles, precepted nurse practitioner students and presented at numerous conferences. She also cares for patients diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and have a motility-related gastrointestinal illness. She has continued to collaborate with MGH’s Lurie Center to develop a seamless access plan for these patients seeking care in the outpatient gastroenterology setting and is a member of the MGH Health Care Inclusion Program (Autism Care Collaborative). She is also an active member of the Massachusetts Coalition of Nurse Practitioners, primarily in the membership committee. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her family and husband up in the Newfound Lake area of New Hampshire as well as in Cape Cod and Walt Disney World.