Ray Keate, MD

Biography

Ray Keate, MD, is excited to be on the team of VCU Health. He brings a wealth of patient, teaching, and leadership experience to this part-time job.   

Health history is the most important to care, so he asks patients “to start at the beginning and use adjectives about how they feel,” and not rely on what other providers have told them or prior diagnoses, he says. 

Compiling that important patient history, which includes understanding how an ailment is impacting the individual’s lifestyle, relies on good listening. Because GI interacts with many related disciplines – from surgery to radiology, physical therapy to dieticians, physicians need to gather that outside expertise and integrate it into a treatment plan. 

A recent patient came with nausea, vomiting and weight loss. Although there was some concern for a bowel obstruction on imaging studies, Dr. Keate identified adrenal insufficiency — a cortisol deficiency — as the cause of the symptoms. Supplementation of steroids by the patient’s endocrinologist resolved all issues, and surgery was avoided.  

Dr. Keate knows the importance of taking on those complex cases as both a physician and educator. Since joining VCU in 2022, he has taught medical trainees on effective techniques for endoscopies and colonoscopies, which can range from inserting camera-tipped tubes into the digestive tract for diagnostic scans to providing targeted therapies, like stretching the esophagus to improve its function. 

Opting to move into gastroenterology after five years as an internist, Dr. Keate specializes in esophageal diseases, such as achalasia, where food and drink have trouble passing; motor disorders; and eosinophilic esophagitis, which is an allergy-driven inflammation. A final segment of cases involves atypical chest pain, which might be caused by esophageal spasms, for example. He also treats disorders that cause diarrhea and constipation, such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, muscular function and pelvic floor conditions.  

As a researcher and educator, Dr. Keate keeps his eyes open for new findings, diagnoses and treatments.

Dr. Keate enjoys spending time with his wife, Kathie, and with their four children, three grandchildren, and four grand-dogs. When not at work, he may be on the road getting ready for a fly-fishing adventure or likely enjoying his wife’s favorite pastime — a cruise. During the summer, they travel to a second home in New England, where you’ll find him tying his own flies. When home, you can often find him outside exploring the many parks and trails Richmond has to offer. He also is an avid exerciser, whose regimen includes both cardio and weight training. 

Advice for patients: “Be certain you are heard. Have a healthcare ‘accountability partner’ to whom you can ask questions and be certain you are asking your doctors and teams the right questions.”