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Jennifer Labas
APN, FNP-BC
Chicago, IL, USA
About
Jennifer Labas, APN, FNP-BC, is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner who earned her BSN from Illinois State University and her Master of Science in Nursing from Purdue University. She has worked for the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at the University of Chicago Medicine since 2011, where she helps to manage patients on their designated inpatient service. In addition, she independently follows Inflammatory Bowel Disease patients that undergo surgical intervention during the entirety of their admission, as well as in clinic with the colorectal Advanced Practice Provider, for seamless follow-up care.
Featured Content by Jennifer Labas
Webcast: Ulcerative Colitis With Jennifer Labas
In this IBD Community Network webcast, Jennifer Labas, APN, FNP-BC, an inflammatory bowel disease specialist from the University of Chicago Medical Center presents a case-based discussion on evaluating and treating moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis. The session reviews key differences between ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, including disease location, inflammation patterns, clinical symptoms, and potential complications. Through the case of a 28-year-old patient with persistent symptoms despite treatment, the presentation explores how stool frequency, nocturnal bowel movements, rectal bleeding, urgency, anemia, weight loss, fecal calprotectin, C-reactive protein, medication levels, colonoscopy findings, and tissue biopsies can help determine disease severity and guide treatment decisions. The discussion also examines objective and patient-reported measures of ulcerative colitis activity, including the Mayo endoscopic score and the Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity. Viewers will learn why clinicians must consider the complete clinical picture rather than relying on a single laboratory result, especially when a patient has a normal CRP despite significant intestinal inflammation. Additional topics include poor prognostic factors, steroid-sparing treatment strategies, treatment selection after TNF therapy, the importance of choosing an appropriately effective therapy early, and the potential consequences of inadequately controlled disease, including hospitalization, colorectal cancer, blood clots, and colectomy. The session emphasizes individualized care, early assessment of treatment response, mucosal healing, and restoring quality of life for patients living with ulcerative colitis. Visit the IBD Community Network for more educational resources.
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