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Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD

Accepting New Patients

(8 Ratings)

Specializes in: Adult Gastroenterology

University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences

Professional interests include: acid reflux (GERD), heartburn, hepatitis, and more.

4282 Genesee Avenue Suite 103
San Diego, CA 92117

(858) 292-0108

Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD is a gastroenterologist in San Diego, CA specializing in adult gastroenterology. He graduated from University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences. Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD is affiliated with Sharp HealthCare and Sharp Memorial Hospital.

Office Locations

Sharp Memorial Hospital

4282 Genesee Avenue Suite 103
San Diego, CA 92117

(858) 292-0108

(858) 292-9097

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Some issues Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD can help you with:

Colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is the use of a special tool called a colonoscope (a thin, flexible tube with a camera on the end) to examine the inside of the colon and rectum. The tube is typically inserted anally, and it allows the physician to examine the large intestine from the inside. It may be done at any time to diagnose bowel problems, but routine colonoscopies are advised after the age of 50 to screen for colon cancer.

A colonoscopy may be performed to diagnose:

Intestinal ulcers
Polyps
Bowel cancer
An unidentified source of pain or bleeding in the intestine

Patients may be asked to drink only liquids in the days before a colonoscopy, or they may be given an enema to remove residual fecal matter. Before the exam, patients are given medication to help them relax, and then lay on their side on a table. The scope is inserted into the anus and gently moved all the way through the large intestine. Air may be pumped into the intestine to improve the view for the physician. Any polyps that are found will be removed. Then the colonoscope will be withdrawn. A colonoscopy is not usually painful, but patients may feel some bloating or have some cramps right afterward. If patients have polyps removed, they might experience a small amount of bleeding. Any side effects should go away within a few hours.

Noteworthy Medicare Patient Procedures Performed by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD in 2023

Click on any procedure below to see further details on volume and pricing among Medicare patients.

Top 5%

By Volume:

screening stool guaiac test

By Affordability:

fecal occult blood test

lab tests

screening fecal occult blood test

screening stool guaiac test

stool guaiac test

stool tests

In 2023, among providers in related specialties within California, Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD performed more screening stool guaiac test (gFOBT) procedures for Medicare patients than 95% of them and he also had a list price for fecal occult blood test (FOBT), lab tests, screening fecal occult blood test (FOBT), screening stool guaiac test (gFOBT), stool guaiac test (gFOBT), and stool tests that was lower than the list prices billed to Medicare by 95% of them. Actual amounts paid by patients can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including insurance coverage. A lower list price, however, might mean lower fees when paying without insurance.

Top 25%

By Volume:

blood draw

colorectal cancer screening

fecal occult blood test

phlebotomy for lab tests

preventive care

By Affordability:

urinalysis

urine tests

In 2012, among providers in related specialties within California, Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD performed more blood draw, colorectal cancer screening, fecal occult blood test (FOBT), phlebotomy for lab tests, and preventive care procedures for Medicare patients than 75% of them and he also had a list price for urinalysis, and urine tests that was lower than the list prices billed to Medicare by 75% of them. Actual amounts paid by patients can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including insurance coverage. A lower list price, however, might mean lower fees when paying without insurance.

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2012 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD treated as a gastroenterologist in San Diego, CA during 2012 were minimally invasive procedures, gastrointestinal procedures, blood draw and preventive care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD for Medicare patients.

balloon dilation	16
blood draw	274
diabetes management	12
diagnostic procedures	248
doctor visit	981
esophageal dilation	16
gastrointestinal procedures	369
hospital care	61
inpatient care	61
lab tests	227
minimally invasive procedures	369
preventive care	268
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	248

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD treated as a gastroenterologist in San Diego, CA during 2013 were minimally invasive procedures, gastrointestinal procedures, preventive care and blood draw.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD for Medicare patients.

blood draw	251
diagnostic procedures	225
doctor visit	970
gastrointestinal procedures	299
hospital care	51
inpatient care	51
lab tests	246
minimally invasive procedures	299
preventive care	267
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	225

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD.

**Gender**
Male	222
Female	286

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	373
Black	18
Hispanic	41
Asian	58
Other	18
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	216
From 75 to 84	160
85 and over	73
Less than 65	59

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD in 2013

Hypertension	63
High Cholesterol	47
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	19
Asthma	5
Osteoperosis	13
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	20
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	29
Dementia	8
Cancer	12

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD treated as a gastroenterologist in San Diego, CA during 2014 were minimally invasive procedures, gastrointestinal procedures, blood draw and preventive care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD for Medicare patients.

blood draw	243
diagnostic procedures	184
doctor visit	836
gastrointestinal procedures	272
lab tests	158
minimally invasive procedures	272
preventive care	202
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	184

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD.

**Gender**
Male	192
Female	264

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	337
Black	14
Hispanic	32
Asian	58
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	207
From 75 to 84	142
85 and over	59
Less than 65	48

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD in 2014

Hypertension	60
High Cholesterol	50
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	21
Chronic Kidney Disease	19
Asthma	5
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	7
Heart Failure	16
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	28
Dementia	9
Cancer	11

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD treated as a gastroenterologist in San Diego, CA during 2015 were blood draw, minimally invasive procedures, gastrointestinal procedures and removal of lesion (e.g. growth).

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD for Medicare patients.

blood draw	228
diagnostic procedures	162
doctor visit	662
gastrointestinal procedures	224
hospital care	46
inpatient care	46
lab tests	142
minimally invasive procedures	224
preventive care	162
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	162

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD.

**Gender**
Male	386
Female	472

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	610
Black	0
Hispanic	86
Asian	116
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	354
From 75 to 84	300
85 and over	122
Less than 65	82

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD in 2015

Hypertension	59
High Cholesterol	51
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	29
Depression	19
Chronic Kidney Disease	20
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	18
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	14
Diabetes	30
Dementia	9
Cancer	12

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD treated as a gastroenterologist in San Diego, CA during 2016 were minimally invasive procedures, gastrointestinal procedures, blood draw and removal of lesion (e.g. growth).

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD for Medicare patients.

blood draw	200
diagnostic procedures	150
doctor visit	619
gastrointestinal procedures	201
lab tests	76
minimally invasive procedures	201
preventive care	104
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	150

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD.

**Gender**
Male	194
Female	231

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	301
Black	0
Hispanic	36
Asian	56
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	206
From 75 to 84	137
85 and over	46
Less than 65	36

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD in 2016

Hypertension	55
High Cholesterol	44
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	22
Depression	18
Chronic Kidney Disease	21
Asthma	15
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	7
Heart Failure	15
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	25
Dementia	8
Cancer	11

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD treated as a gastroenterologist in San Diego, CA during 2017 were minimally invasive procedures, gastrointestinal procedures, removal of lesion (e.g. growth) and diagnostic procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD for Medicare patients.

blood draw	148
diagnostic procedures	222
doctor visit	719
gastrointestinal procedures	289
lab tests	86
minimally invasive procedures	289
preventive care	116
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	222

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD.

**Gender**
Male	216
Female	227

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	303
Black	0
Hispanic	30
Asian	66
Other	25
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	205
From 75 to 84	140
85 and over	58
Less than 65	40

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD in 2017

Hypertension	60
High Cholesterol	44
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	26
Depression	21
Chronic Kidney Disease	25
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	15
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	28
Dementia	8
Cancer	11

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD treated as a gastroenterologist in San Diego, CA during 2018 were minimally invasive procedures, gastrointestinal procedures, removal of lesion (e.g. growth) and diagnostic procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD for Medicare patients.

blood draw	164
diagnostic procedures	183
doctor visit	687
gastrointestinal procedures	230
lab tests	107
minimally invasive procedures	230
preventive care	116
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	183

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD.

**Gender**
Male	180
Female	207

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	282
Black	0
Hispanic	28
Asian	50
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	172
From 75 to 84	125
85 and over	56
Less than 65	34

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD in 2018

Hypertension	58
High Cholesterol	44
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	28
Depression	17
Chronic Kidney Disease	24
Asthma	5
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	17
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	26
Dementia	6
Cancer	15

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD treated as a gastroenterologist in San Diego, CA during 2019 were minimally invasive procedures, gastrointestinal procedures, removal of lesion (e.g. growth) and diagnostic procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD for Medicare patients.

blood draw	144
diagnostic procedures	196
doctor visit	696
gastrointestinal procedures	241
lab tests	107
minimally invasive procedures	241
preventive care	102
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	196

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD.

**Gender**
Male	198
Female	209

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	291
Black	0
Hispanic	35
Asian	43
Other	24
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	0
From 75 to 84	141
85 and over	54
Less than 65	34

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD in 2019

Hypertension	56
High Cholesterol	45
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	26
Depression	18
Chronic Kidney Disease	23
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	26
Dementia	8
Cancer	13

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD treated as a gastroenterologist in San Diego, CA during 2020 were minimally invasive procedures, gastrointestinal procedures, removal of lesion (e.g. growth) and diagnostic procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD for Medicare patients.

blood draw	153
diagnostic procedures	159
doctor visit	678
gastrointestinal procedures	201
lab tests	116
minimally invasive procedures	201
preventive care	116
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	159

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD.

**Gender**
Male	174
Female	203

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	270
Black	0
Hispanic	25
Asian	49
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	162
From 75 to 84	142
85 and over	53
Less than 65	20

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD in 2020

Hypertension	58
High Cholesterol	48
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	31
Depression	21
Chronic Kidney Disease	24
Asthma	5
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	16
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	24
Dementia	7
Cancer	13

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD treated as a gastroenterologist in San Diego, CA during 2021 were minimally invasive procedures, gastrointestinal procedures, blood draw and removal of lesion (e.g. growth).

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD for Medicare patients.

blood draw	175
diagnostic procedures	165
doctor visit	768
gastrointestinal procedures	214
lab tests	125
minimally invasive procedures	214
preventive care	118
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	165

2021 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD.

**Gender**
Male	195
Female	229

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	333
Black	0
Hispanic	17
Asian	46
Other	16
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	167
From 75 to 84	178
85 and over	59
Less than 65	20

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD in 2021

Hypertension	57
High Cholesterol	50
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	26
Depression	20
Chronic Kidney Disease	24
Asthma	5
Osteoperosis	15
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	25
Dementia	7
Cancer	13

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2022 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD treated as a gastroenterologist in San Diego, CA during 2022 were minimally invasive procedures, gastrointestinal procedures, removal of lesion (e.g. growth) and diagnostic procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD for Medicare patients.

balloon dilation	11
blood draw	147
diagnostic procedures	158
doctor visit	708
esophageal dilation	11
gastrointestinal procedures	222
lab tests	144
minimally invasive procedures	222
preventive care	142
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	158

2022 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD.

**Gender**
Male	227
Female	212

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	327
Black	0
Hispanic	31
Asian	45
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	194
From 75 to 84	160
85 and over	59
Less than 65	26

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD in 2022

Hypertension	64
High Cholesterol	67
Stroke	7
Ischemic Heart Disease	21
Depression	15
Chronic Kidney Disease	18
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	16
Atrial Fibrilation	14
Heart Failure	9
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	23
Dementia	7
Cancer	16

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2012 - 2022

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD treated as a gastroenterologist in San Diego, CA were minimally invasive procedures, gastrointestinal procedures, blood draw and removal of lesion (e.g. growth).

balloon dilation	13
blood draw	193
diabetes management	12
diagnostic procedures	186
doctor visit	756
esophageal dilation	13
gastrointestinal procedures	251
hospital care	52
inpatient care	52
lab tests	139
minimally invasive procedures	251
preventive care	155
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	186

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2012 - 2022

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD.

**Gender**
Male	198
Female	230

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	2
Asian / Pacific Islander	53
Non-Hispanic White	311
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	32
Other	7

**Age**
75 to 84	147
85 and over	58
Less than 65	36
65 to 74	171

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD From 2012 - 2022

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and ischemic heart disease.

Hypertension	53
High Cholesterol	44
Stroke	2
Ischemic Heart Disease	24
Depression	17
Chronic Kidney Disease	19
Asthma	6
Osteoporosis	10
Heart Failure	13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	10
Diabetes	24
Atrial Fibrillation	8
Dementia	7
Cancer	11

Education & Training

Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD graduated from University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences. He completed residency at Baylor College of Medicine Affiliated Hospitals. He is certified by the Gastroenterology and has a state license in California.

Medical School: University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences

Residency: Baylor College of Medicine Affiliated Hospitals

Board Certification: Gastroenterology

Licensed In: California

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Sharp HealthCare

Sharp Memorial Hospital

Insurance Information

Please note: Insurance information may change at any time, and the provider may accept your insurance plan even if it is not listed below. Please contact the provider's office to confirm that your insurance is accepted.

Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD appears to accept the following insurance providers: TRICARE, Cigna, Aetna, Molina Healthcare, UnitedHealthcare, Anthem, Sharp Health Plan, Health Net, Medicare and Community Health Group.

Insurance Accepted by Provider includes:

According to our sources, Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD accepts the following insurance providers:

TRICARE

Cigna

Aetna

Molina Healthcare

UnitedHealthcare

Anthem

Sharp Health Plan

Health Net

Medicare

Community Health Group

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD has a high overall rating with an average of 3.5 out of 5 stars based on 8 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in San Diego, CA.

3.5

Overall Rating

(8 Ratings)

Leave a Review

General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Simon M. Ritchken, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
AbbVie Inc.	$813 UBRELVY $276	Creon $175	LINZESS $156	Mavyret $63	VRAYLAR $62	Other $81
Nestle HealthCare Nutrition Inc.	$722 ZENPEP $722
Janssen Biotech, Inc.	$711 STELARA $566	SIMPONI $104	REMICADE $41
Allergan Inc.	$676 LINZESS $318	VIBERZI $228	ZENPEP $129
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc	$644 XARELTO $316	OneTouch $147	INVOKANA $131	meters $20	Blood Glucose Meters $16	Other $13
Other	$10,260 Prolia $415	TRELEGY ELLIPTA $373	SUPREP $306	CLENPIQ $256	LIALDA $242	Other $8,668

**Types of Payments**
Food and Beverage	$13,250
Education	$249
Consulting Fee	$199
Gift	$128

Biography

Dr. Simon Ritchken is a medical specialist in adult gastroenterology. In addition to English, he speaks Afrikaans. His areas of expertise include ulcers, hepatitis, and crohn's disease. Dr. Ritchken's professional affiliations include Sharp Memorial Hospital and Sharp HealthCare. Dr. Ritchken is a graduate of the University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences. For his residency, Dr. Ritchken trained at a hospital affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. Patient ratings for Dr. Ritchken average 3.5 stars (out of 5). He takes Health Net, Anthem, and UnitedHealthcare, in addition to other insurance carriers. Dr. Ritchken has an open panel in San Diego, CA according to Sharp HealthCare.