South Jordan Urgent Care Temporarily Closed

South Jordan Urgent Care is temporarily closed. Please disregard any wait time currently displayed for South Jordan Urgent Care and visit another University of Utah Health urgent care location for care. View urgent care locations 

Jessica N. Cohan
( out of 379 reviews )

Jessica N. Cohan, MD, MAS, FACS, FASCRS

Languages spoken: English

Clinical Locations

Primary Location

Huntsman Cancer Institute - Cancer Hospital North

Surgical Oncology
1950 Circle of Hope
Salt Lake City , UT 84112
801-646-4365
Get Directions

University of Utah Hospital

General Surgery, Area E
50 N Medical Dr
Salt Lake City , UT 84132
801-587-5854
Get Directions

Clinical Interests and Expertise

Dr. Cohan practices the full scope of colorectal surgery. She is board certified in both general surgery and colorectal surgery and has completed additional fellowship training in integrative health. She cares for patients with routine and highly complex conditions, with particular expertise in caring for individuals with complex medical problems and older adults who benefit from individualized, goal-aligned, integrative surgical care.

Her clinical practice includes the management of colon, rectal, and anal cancers; neuroendocrine tumors; diverticulitis; inflammatory bowel disease; fistulas; and pelvic floor disorders. Dr. Cohan has specialized expertise in minimally invasive surgery, including transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS), robotic surgery, and laparoscopy, as well as complex and revisional colorectal surgery. Her approach emphasizes optimizing surgical outcomes and recovery.

She is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (FASCRS).

Academic and Research Background

Dr. Cohan is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Population Health Sciences at the University of Utah. She is also a surgeon-scientist at Huntsman Cancer Institute. She has received more than $1 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health for work focused on optimizing surgical care for older adults and for patients with colorectal cancer and diverticulitis.

Leadership and Professional Service

Dr. Cohan is active nationally through service to the Association for Academic Surgery, the American College of Surgeons, and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. At the University of Utah, she also serves on committees focused on improving research, faculty development, and patient care. She was named a 2022–2023 Leadership Scholar by the Tideswell/AGS/ADGAP Emerging Leaders in Aging Program.

Specialties

Board Certification

American Board of Colon & Rectal Surgery
American Board of Surgery

Patient Rating

Patients consistently describe Dr. Cohan as a highly skilled, knowledgeable surgeon who inspires confidence in her care. Reviewers praise her clear explanations, attentive listening, and willingness to take time to answer questions and include patients in treatment decisions. Many comment on her compassionate, professional bedside manner and the strong trust she builds with patients through surgery and follow-up.

Generated via Patient Reviews

4.9 /5
( out of 379 reviews )

The patient rating score is an average of all responses on our patient experience survey. The rating averages scores for all questions about care from our providers. The scale on which responses are measured is 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.

Clinical Interests and Expertise

Dr. Cohan practices the full scope of colorectal surgery. She is board certified in both general surgery and colorectal surgery and has completed additional fellowship training in integrative health. She cares for patients with routine and highly complex conditions, with particular expertise in caring for individuals with complex medical problems and older adults who benefit from individualized, goal-aligned, integrative surgical care.

Her clinical practice includes the management of colon, rectal, and anal cancers; neuroendocrine tumors; diverticulitis; inflammatory bowel disease; fistulas; and pelvic floor disorders. Dr. Cohan has specialized expertise in minimally invasive surgery, including transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS), robotic surgery, and laparoscopy, as well as complex and revisional colorectal surgery. Her approach emphasizes optimizing surgical outcomes and recovery.

She is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (FASCRS).

Academic and Research Background

Dr. Cohan is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Population Health Sciences at the University of Utah. She is also a surgeon-scientist at Huntsman Cancer Institute. She has received more than $1 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health for work focused on optimizing surgical care for older adults and for patients with colorectal cancer and diverticulitis.

Leadership and Professional Service

Dr. Cohan is active nationally through service to the Association for Academic Surgery, the American College of Surgeons, and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. At the University of Utah, she also serves on committees focused on improving research, faculty development, and patient care. She was named a 2022–2023 Leadership Scholar by the Tideswell/AGS/ADGAP Emerging Leaders in Aging Program.

Board Certification and Academic Information

Academic Departments Surgery -Associate Professor
Population Health Sciences -Adjunct Associate Professor
Academic Divisions Surgical Oncology
Board Certification
American Board of Colon & Rectal Surgery
American Board of Surgery

Education history

Fellowship Integrative Health - Osher Collaborative Fellow
Fellowship Colorectal Surgery - Lahey Hospital & Medical Center Fellow
Fellowship Health Policy - University of California, San Francisco, Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies Fellow
Graduate Training Clinical Research - University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine M.A.S.
Residency General Surgery - University of California, San Francisco Resident
Professional Medical Medicine - Weill Cornell Medical College M.D.
Undergraduate Microbiology - California Polytechnic State University B.S.

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. van Onselen J, Winn M, Gomez-Lumbreras A, Dunlap CE, Bhatia R, Gupta S, Cohan JN, Hardikar S (2026). Allostatic load, multimorbidity, and overall and cancer-specific survival among older adults in the United States. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev.
  2. Cohan JN (2026). Expert Commentary on Shared Decision Making in Rectal Cancer. Dis Colon Rectum.
  3. Cohan JN, Berian JR, ASCRS Healthcare Economics Committee (2026). What Every Colorectal Surgeon Should Know About the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Age-Friendly Hospital Measure. Dis Colon Rectum.
  4. Hantouli MN, Schmicker RH, Tufte JE, Ali FG, Bennett RD, Cohan JN, Comstock BA, Curran T, Davidson GH, Eisenstein S, Fischkoff KN, Fleming FJ, Gribovskaja-Rupp I, Jafari MD, Kessler LG, Krane MK, Lawrence SO, McCormick JT, Millas SG, Morris AM, Pullar KM, Reinke CE, Saraidaridis JT, Simianu VV, Watkins SP, White NB, Wick EC, Wieghard N, Flum DR, Read TE, COSMID Collaborative (2026). Comparison of Surgery and Medicine on the Impact of Diverticulitis (COSMID) trial: a protocol for a pragmatic randomised study of diverticulitis treatment in the USA. BMJ Open, 16(1), e098309.
  5. Glenny EM, Lin T, Bandera VM, Mirminachi B, Khumukcham SS, Gigic B, Warby CA, Aksonova O, Coleman MF, Carpanese A, Busch C, Himbert C, Ose J, Nix DA, Boucher K, Schirmacher P, Strehli I, Hardikar S, Cohan JN, Jedrzkiewicz J, Brobeil A, Schneider MA, Kahlert C, Siegel EM, Byrd DA, Toriola AT, Shibata D, Li CI, Figueiredo JC, Tan AC, Roper J, Ulrich CM, Hursting SD (2025). Obesity promotes conserved inflammatory and metabolic transcriptional programs in colon tumors: evidence from mouse models and the ColoCare Study Patient Cohort. Am J Clin Nutr, 122(6), 1545-1556.
  6. Hausmann O, Schobert PP, Ose J, Himbert C, Pletneva M, Jedrzkiewicz J, Nguyen A, Lin T, Warby CA, Hardikar S, Peoples AR, Strehli I, Huang LC, Cohan JN, Pickron B, Scaife C, Li CI, Grady WM, Shibata D, Toriola AT, Schneider M, Figueiredo JC, Siegel EM, Gigic B, Herzig S, Ilozumba MN, Ulrich CM (2025). Associations of Biomarkers of Systemic Inflammation, Angiogenesis, and Cell-to-Cell Adhesion With Tumor Budding Among Early-Onset and Later-Onset Colorectal Cancer Patients. Cancer Med, 14(18), e71267.
  7. Cohan JN (2025). A Decision Aid for Diverticulitis: One Piece of the Puzzle. Dis Colon Rectum.
  8. Williamson AJH, Leonard M, Weiss R, Kaphingst KA, Supiano MA, Cohan JN (2025). The surgeon's role in optimizing elective surgical care for older adults: Perspectives of outpatient geriatricians. Curr Probl Surg, 68, 101764.
  9. Glenny EM, Lin T, Bandera VM, Mirminachi B, Khumukcham SS, Gigic B, Warby CA, Aksonova O, Coleman MF, Carpanese A, Busch C, Himbert C, Ose J, Nix DA, Boucher K, Schirmacher P, Strehli I, Hardikar S, Cohan JN, Jedrzkiewicz J, Brobeil A, Schneider MA, Kahlert C, Siegel EM, Byrd DA, Toriola AT, Shibata D, Li CI, Figueiredo JC, Tan AC, Roper J, Ulrich CM, Hursting SD (2025). Obesity promotes conserved inflammatory and metabolic transcriptional programs in mouse and human colon tumors. bioRxiv.
  10. Leonard ME, Williamson AJH, Weiss R, Kaphingst KA, Supiano MA, Cohan JN (2025). A Framework to Optimize Primary Care of Older Surgical Patients: A Qualitative Study of Geriatricians. JAMA Netw Open, 8(1), e2456787.
  11. Johnson JE, Pauleck S, Williamson AJH, Pahlkotter M, Brecha FS, Ferre N, Ortiz N, Marcus RL, Hardikar S, Cohan JN (2025). Barriers and Facilitators to Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Health Fair Attendees in Utah. J Prim Care Community Health, 16, 21501319251316659.
  12. Cohan JN (2024). Ensuring Goal-Aligned Care in a Busy Surgical Practice. Semin Colon Rectal Surg, 35(4).
  13. Tripathi N, Gebrael G, Chigarira B, Sahu KK, Balasubramanian I, Caparas C, Mathew Thomas V, Cohan JN, Pelletier K, Maughan BL, Agarwal N, Swami U, Gupta S (2024). Treatment Patterns and Outcomes by Age in Metastatic Urinary Tract Cancer: A Retrospective Tertiary Cancer Center Analysis. Cancers (Basel), 16(11).
  14. Leonard ME, Horns JJ, Allen-Brady K, Ozanne EM, Wallace AS, Brooke BS, Supiano MA, Cohan JN (2024). Recurrence of severe diverticulitis is associated with age and birth decade. J Gastrointest Surg, 28(4), 507-512.
  15. Williamson AJH, Cain BT, Hoggan TJ, Larsen MW, Kimball ER, Bloomquist K, Galyean PO, Zickmund S, Cohan JN (2023). Challenges and Opportunities in the Elective Management of Diverticulitis: Perspectives From a National Sample of Colorectal Surgeons. Dis Colon Rectum, 67(2), 264-272.
  16. Cohan JN, Horns JJ, Ramsay JM, Huang LC, Allen-Brady K (2023). Diverticulitis Familiality: A Statewide Case-Control Study. J Am Coll Surg, 237(5), 689-696.
  17. Himbert C, Ose J, Gigic B, Viskochil R, Santuci K, Lin T, Ashworth A, Cohan JN, Scaife CL, Jedrzkiewicz J, Damerell V, Atkins KM, Gong J, Mutch MG, Bernadt C, Felder S, Sanchez J, Cohen SA, Krane MK, Hinkle N, Wood E, Peoples AR, Figueiredo JC, Toriola AT, Siegel EM, Li CI, Shibata D, Boucher K, Round JL, Ulrich AB, Schneider M, Huang LC, Hardikar S, Ulrich CM (2023). Associations of combined physical activity and body mass index groups with colorectal cancer survival outcomes. BMC Cancer, 23(1), 300.
  18. Cohan JN, Horns JJ, Hanson HA, Allen-Brady K, Kieffer MC, Huang LC, Brooke BS (2022). The Association Between Family History and Diverticulitis Recurrence: A Population-Based Study. Dis Colon Rectum, 66(2), 269-277.
  19. Johnson JE, Bleicher J, Blumling AN, Cain BT, Cohan JN, Savarise M, Harris AHS, Kaphingst KA, Huang LC (2022). The Influence of Rural Healthcare Systems and Communities on Surgery and Recovery: A Qualitative Study. J Surg Res, 281, 155-163.
  20. Draper P, Bleicher J, Kobayashi JK, Stauder EL, Stoddard GJ, Johnson JE, Cohan JN, Kaphingst KA, Harris AHS, Huang LC (2022). Patient Willingness to Dispose of Leftover Opioids After Surgery: A Mixed Methods Study. Ann Surg Open, 3(4), e223.
  21. Himbert C, Warby CA, Gigic B, Ose J, Lin T, Viskochil R, Peoples AR, Ashworth A, Schrotz-King P, Scaife CL, Cohan JN, Jedrzkiewicz J, Schirmacher P, Grady WM, Cohen SA, Krane M, Figueiredo JC, Toriola AT, Siegel EM, Shibata D, Round JL, Huang LC, Li CI, Schneider M, Ulrich A, Hardikar S, Ulrich CM (2022). Associations of Individual and Combined Physical Activity and Body Mass Index Groups with Proinflammatory Biomarkers among Colorectal Cancer Patients. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 31(12), 2148-2156.
  22. Himbert C, Stephens WZ, Gigic B, Hardikar S, Holowatyj AN, Lin T, Ose J, Swanson E, Ashworth A, Warby CA, Peoples AR, Nix D, Jedrzkiewicz J, Bronner M, Pickron B, Scaife C, Cohan JN, Schrotz-King P, Habermann N, Boehm J, Hullar M, Figueiredo JC, Toriola AT, Siegel EM, Li CI, Ulrich AB, Shibata D, Boucher K, Huang LC, Schneider M, Round JL, Ulrich CM (2022). Differences in the gut microbiome by physical activity and BMI among colorectal cancer patients. Am J Cancer Res, 12(10), 4789-4801.
  23. Bleicher J, McGuire LE, Robbins RB, Johnson JE, Fischbuch S, Gupta S, Beck AC, Cohan JN (2022). Preoperative advance care planning for older adults undergoing major abdominal surgery. Am J Hosp Palliat Care, 39(4), 406-412.
  24. Huang LC, Johnson JE, Bleicher J, Blumling AN, Savarise M, Wetter DW, Cohan JN, Harris AAS, Kaphingst KA (2021). Promoting Disposal of Left-Over Opioids After Surgery in Rural Communities: A Qualitative Description Study. Health Educ Behav, 50(2), 10901981211057540.
  25. Bleicher J, Esplin J, Blumling AN, Cohan JN, Savarise Md M, Wetter DW, Harris AHS, Kaphingst KA, Huang LC (2021). Expectation-setting and patient education about pain control in the perioperative setting: A qualitative study. J Opioid Manag, 17(6), 455-464.
  26. Cohan JN, Ozanne EM, Hofer RK, Kelly YM, Kata A, Larsen C, Finlayson E (2021). Ileostomy or ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis: patient participation and decisional needs. BMC Gastroenterol, 21(1), 347.
  27. Coffman AR, Tao R, Cohan JN, Huang LC, Pickron TB, Torgeson AM, Lloyd S (2020). Factors associated with the refusal of surgery and the associated impact on survival in patients with rectal cancer using the National Cancer Database. J Gastrointest Oncol, 12(4), 1482-1497.
  28. Himbert C, Figueiredo JC, Shibata D, Ose J, Lin T, Huang LC, Peoples AR, Scaife CL, Pickron B, Lambert L, Cohan JN, Bronner M, Felder S, Sanchez J, Dessureault S, Coppola D, Hoffman DM, Nasseri YF, Decker RW, Zaghiyan K, Murrell ZA, Hendifar A, Gong J, Firoozmand E, Gangi A, Moore BA, Cologne KG, El-Masry MS, Hinkle N, Monroe J, Mutch M, Bernadt C, Chatterjee D, Sinanan M, Cohen SA, Wallin U, Grady WM, Lampe PD, Reddi D, Krane M, Fichera A, Moonka R, Herpel E, Schirmacher P, Kloor M, von Knebel-Doeberitz M, Nattenmueller J, Kauczor HU, Swanson E, Jedrzkiewicz J, Schmit SL, Gigic B, Ulrich AB, Toriola AT, Siegel EM, Li CI, Ulrich CM, Hardikar S (2021). Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Colorectal Cancer in the ColoCare Study: Differences by Age of Onset. Cancers (Basel), 13(15).
  29. Baucom KJW, Pershing ML, Dwenger KM, Karasawa M, Cohan JN, Ozanne EM (2021). Barriers and Facilitators to Enrollment and Retention in the National Diabetes Prevention Program: Perspectives of Women and Clinicians Within a Health System. Womens Health Rep (New Rochelle), 2(1), 133-141.
  30. Brecha FS, Ozanne EM, Esplin J, Stoddard GJ, Nirula R, Huang LC, Cohan JN (2020). Patient Willingness to Accept Antibiotic Side Effects to Reduce Surgical Site Infection After Colorectal Surgery. J Surg Res, 261, 417-422.
  31. Cohan JN, Orleans B, Brecha FS, Huang LC, Presson A, Fagerlin A, Ozanne EM (2021). Factors Associated With Decision Regret Among Patients With Diverticulitis in the Elective Setting. J Surg Res, 261, 159-166.
  32. Cavallaro PM, Fearnhead NS, Bissett IP, Brar MS, Cataldo TE, Clarke R, Denoya P, Elder AL, Gecse KB, Hendren S, Holubar S, Jeganathan N, Myrelid P, Norton BA, Wexner SD, Wilson L, Zaghiyan K, Bordeianou L PROPS Delphi Study Expert Panels (2021). Patients Undergoing Ileoanal Pouch Surgery Experience a Constellation of Symptoms and Consequences Representing a Unique Syndrome A Report from the Patient Reported Outcomes after Pouch Surgery (PROPS) Delphi Consensus Study. Ann Surg, DOI: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000004829.
  33. Cavallaro PM, Fearnhead NS, Bissett IP, Brar MS, Cataldo TE, Clarke R, Denoya P, Elder AL, Gecse KB, Hendren S, Holubar S, Jeganathan N, Myrelid P, Norton BA, Wexner SD, Wilson L, Zaghiyan K, Bordeianou L PROPS Delphi Study Expert Panels (2021). Patients Undergoing Ileoanal Pouch Surgery Experience a Constellation of Symptoms and Consequences Representing a Unique Syndrome A Report from the Patient Reported Outcomes after Pouch Surgery (PROPS) Delphi Consensus Study. Dis Colon Rectum, DOI: 10.1097/DCR.0000000000002099.
  34. Bleicher J, Cohan JN, Huang LC, Peche W, Pickron TB, Scaife CL, Bowles TL, Hyngstrom JR, Asare EA (2020). Trends in the management of anorectal melanoma: A multi-institutional retrospective study and review of the world literature. World J Gastroenterol, 27(3), 267-280.
  35. Tonna JE, Hanson HA, Cohan JN, McCrum ML, Horns JJ, Brooke BS, Das R, Kelly BC, Campbell AJ, Hotaling J (2020). Balancing revenue generation with capacity generation: case distribution, financial impact and hospital capacity changes from cancelling or resuming elective surgeries in the US during COVID-19. BMC Health Serv Res, 20(1), 1119.
  36. Cohan JN, Donahue C, Pantel HJ, Ricciardi R, Kleiman DA, Read TE, Marcello PW (2020). Endoscopic Step Up: A Colon-Sparing Alternative to Colectomy to Improve Outcomes and Reduce Costs for Patients With Advanced Neoplastic Polyps. Dis Colon Rectum, 63(6), 842-849.
  37. Cohan JN (2018). Uncomplicated Sigmoid Diverticulitis. Dis Colon Rectum, 61(10), 1141-1144.
  38. Cohan JN, Ozanne EM, Sewell JL, Hofer RK, Mahadevan U, Varma MG, Finlayson E (2016). A Novel Decision Aid for Surgical Patients with Ulcerative Colitis: Results of a Pilot Study. Dis Colon Rectum, 59(6), 520-8.
  39. Cohan JN, Rhee JY, Finlayson E, Varma MG (2015). Impact of Surgery on Relationship Quality in Patients With Ulcerative Colitis and Their Partners. Dis Colon Rectum, 58(12), 1144-50.
  40. Chou AB, Cohan JN, Varma MG (2015). Differences in Symptom Severity and Quality of Life in Patients With Obstructive Defecation and Colonic Inertia. Dis Colon Rectum, 58(10), 994-8.
  41. Cohan JN, Bacchetti P, Varma MG, Finlayson E (2015). Outcomes after ileoanal pouch surgery in frail and older adults. J Surg Res, 198(2), 327-33.
  42. Cohan JN, Chou AB, Varma MG (2015). Faecal incontinence in men referred for specialty care: a cross-sectional study. Colorectal Dis, 17(9), 802-9.
  43. Cohan JN, Bacchetti P, Varma MG, Finlayson E (2015). Impact of Patient Age on Procedure Type for Ulcerative Colitis: A National Study. Dis Colon Rectum, 58(8), 769-74.
  44. Moliterno JA, Knopman J, Parikh K, Cohan JN, Huang QD, Aaker GD, Grivoyannis AD, Patel AR, Hartl R, Boockvar JA (2010). Results and risk factors for recurrence following single-level tubular lumbar microdiscectomy. J Neurosurg Spine, 12(6), 680-6.

Review

  1. Cain BT, Cohan JN (2025). Ileostomy or Ileal Pouch Anal Anastomosis: Shared Decision-Making in the Surgical Management of Ulcerative Colitis. [Review]. Clin Colon Rectal Surg, 39(5), 337-342.
  2. Hall JK, Supiano MA, Cohan JN (2025). Diverticulitis in Older Adults: A Review of Etiology, Diagnosis, and Management. [Review]. J Am Geriatr Soc.
  3. Cohan JN (2018). Uncomplicated Sigmoid Diverticulitis. [Review]. Dis Colon Rectum, 61(10), 1141-1144.
  4. Cohan JN, Varma MG (2015). Reoperative Surgery for Rectal Prolapse. [Review]. Semin Colon Rectal Surg, 26(4), 182-6.
  5. Cain BT, Cohan JN (). Shared Decision Making for Ulcerative Colitis. [Review]. Clin Colon Rectal Surg, [in press].

Book Chapter

  1. Robbins R, Cohan JN (2022). Diverticulitis. In O'Connor MI, Haq KL (Eds.), Taking Care of You: The Empowered Woman's Guide to Better Health (1). New Haven, CT: Mayo Clinic Press/Simon & Schuster.
  2. Cohan JN, Varma MV (2020). The Large Intestine. In Gerard M. Doherty (Ed.), Current Diagnosis and Treatment Surgery (15). McGraw-Hill Education.
  3. Cohan JN, Varma MG (2016). Anorectal Strictures. In Cameron JL, Cameron AM (Eds.), Current Surgical Therapy: Surgery (12). Elsevier.
  4. Cohan JN, Varma MG (2015). The Large Intestine. In Doherty GM (Ed.), Current Diagnosis and Treatment: Surgery (14). McGraw-Hill Medical.

Case Report

  1. Cohan JN, Moliterno JA, Mok CL, Lavi E, Boockvar JA (2011). Pineal parenchymal tumor of intermediate differentiation with papillary features: a continuum of primary pineal tumors? J Neurooncol, 101(2), 301-6.

Editorial

  1. Cohan J, Finlayson E (2017). Delivery Mode in Pregnant Patients with IBD: Uncertainty Remains. Inflammatory Bowel Disease, 23(5), 727.
  2. Finlayson EF, Cohan JN (2016). Center the patient in the decision process: a tool to inform the consent and share the decision-making in patients with rectal cancer. Diseases of the Colon and Rectum, 57(1), 3-4.
  3. Cohan JN, Varma MG (2014). Simple interventions for complex complications: moving surgery forward. Dis Colon Rectum, 57(1), 3-4.

Abstract

  1. Cohan JN, Rhee J, Finlayson E, Varma M (May 2015). Proctocolectomy: Impact on Relationship Quality in Ulcerative Colitis Patients and their Partners [Abstract].
  2. Cohan JN, Bacchetti P, Varma MG, Finlayson E (February 2015). The Impact of Age and Frailty on Surgical Outcomes After Ileal Pouch-Anal Anastomosis [Abstract].