As a young man, Martin Moix thought his future might combine his two favorite leanings—science and competitive swimming.

“I thought I might become a marine biologist, but I learned that I couldn’t find that type of work around here, and I am a home body,” he recalls. A Conway native surrounded by generations of relatives in Faulkner County, he opted to become a physician.

“I was the first physician in my family. I wasn’t one of these people who was born to be doctor,” added Moix.  “Medicine provided me an opportunity to have a career in science here in our community."

 Martin Moix, MD, is a gastroenterologist with more than 24 years of experience in treating diseases of the intestinal tract. After four years of education at Hendrix College and ten years of medical training at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Moix founded his own practice, which is now the Conway Regional Gastroenterology Center. “Pursuing a medical career is a lot of hard work,” said Moix, “but it can be very rewarding.”

Gastroenterologists treat diseases of the digestive tract—esophagus, stomach, colon, small intestine, pancreas, gallbladder, and liver. An interventional gastroenterologist does advanced procedures like ERCP, stenting of the esophagus/duodenum/colon/bile ducts, endoscopic suturing, endoscopic mucosal resection, and others. 

Saving Lives

“A lot of my friends say I was born to be a gastroenterologist, because it involves treating diseases of the lower intestines,” Moix quips, adding that “I got exposed to the endoscopic aspect of it, and I thought ‘wow, I can get paid to play video games.’ GI is kind of a unique mixture of a medical doctor and a surgeon. You have to figure out complex problems which hopefully means impacting someone’s life."

Many times searching for polyps and other disease-causing conditions involves repetitive testing and screenings. Some of those tests, such as colonoscopies, can be unpleasant for the patient and monotonous for the doctor. “We do a lot of repetitive things,” he said. “It’s a lot like trotline fishing; there may be 17 empty hooks before you catch a fish.”

Recalling a recent experience in which he was able to remove a polyp and prevent a woman from contracting cancer, Moix said, “The times that we can prevent somebody from getting a horrible illness make it all worthwhile. In GI, we are fortunate to be on the preventive side of things, knowing that somebody is not going to have to suffer through surgery and chemotherapy.”

 While he works in a very serious profession, Moix is known for his sense of humor. Several years ago, he donned a bulky, red plastic suit and assumed the identity of Polyp Man to help the American Cancer Society’s statewide efforts to promote colonoscopy awareness. He made appearances throughout state, including a news segment on KATV’s “Good Morning Arkansas.” “I even tried to run a 5K in that suit,” he recalled.

With his Polyp Man days behind him, Moix is finding joy in the future of his practice. “I always envisioned being able to expand the GI services that we are able to provide in Faulkner County,” he said.

The practice currently has three gastroenterologists, with the addition of Drs. Owen Maat and OT Gordon, and three GI specialized advanced practice registered nurses, Brady Eason, Lindsey Sierra, and Sarah Atkins with new services on the horizon.

Building a GI Center

Moix said Conway Regional’s leadership is crucial to the clinic’s new growth. “I give Matt Troup, Rebekah Fincher, and the board of directors a lot of credit,” he said. Moix envisions an entire floor of the Conway Regional Medical Tower dedicated to gastroenterology.

This year, the Conway Regional Gastroenterology Center will implement PH studies, which measure acid reflux in the esophagus and esophageal manometry studies that test whether a patient’s esophagus can properly move food into the digestive system. Moix says the future may include non-invasive scanning of the liver, gastric pacemakers, collaborative endoscopic work ups for bariatric surgery patients, ERCP to relieve bile duct obstructions, fibro scanning to assess scaring of the liver, and other innovative procedures.

 “The vision is for Conway Regional to be a referral site for GI cases in the north metroplex, to have a comprehensive clinic where we will do all the testing and treatment that is needed to treat diseases of the GI tract.”

Moix has seen his share of innovation during his 24-year practice. “The biggest is the progress with hepatitis C. We went from not being able to do much with it to being close to curing it in 100 percent of cases.” In the future, he expects DNA stool testing to improve to the point where colonoscopies are no longer required automatically at age 50. “Right now, there are just too many false positives,” he said.

 Moix is also looking to the future on the family front as his daughter, Elise, has been accepted into medical school. “She is talking about neurology, but who knows which direction she will go in,” he said. Elise will become a third generation physician. Her grandfather, Vondale Graham, recently retired after a 50-year career in Internal Medicine.

Martin Moix’s other daughter, Candace, a sophomore college student, is majoring in business, with an emphasis in accounting. Since retiring from his practice, Martin’s wife Jennifer volunteers for various charitable causes, including the Conway Regional Health Foundation’s Dazzle Daze and Duck Derby fundraisers. Jennifer and Martin share a penchant for cycling, often taking 40 to 50-mile rides.  Martin also finds time to get under the hood of a 1957 Cadillac convertible that he is restoring with his father, Frank Moix, Sr.

The Moix family also founded the Mary Jane Moix 5K race to raise funds in support of pancreatic cancer research. “My brother, Michael, put that one together,” Martin said with a smile. The race memorializes his mother.

It was always about family for Martin Moix. (Originally published in Faulkner County Lifestyle magazine)