Dr. Thomas C. Caves, M.D.
Gastroenterology (Gastroenterology Physician)
317 W Pueblo St
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Who else practices at this address →
Santa Barbara County includes primary care (2% of residents) and mental health (21% of residents) shortage areas. About shortage areas
- Medicare participating
At a glance
- Medical school
- New York Medical College (1998)
- Years since graduation
- 28
- In the NPI registry since
- 2006
- Medicare patients seen, 2024
- 930
Licensed in California since 2000, according to the Medical Board of California. We show license dates only for the states that publish them in bulk; see which states do. For other states, check the state medical board.
The NPI date is when this clinician registered for a National Provider Identifier, the billing number used on health claims. It is not a license, graduation or board-certification date. NPIs were first issued in May 2005 and became required on claims in 2007–2008, so an early date usually means the clinician was already in practice before then. What an NPI is
Education and training
- 1998Medical school: New York Medical College
- 2006Registered with an NPI (national billing number; not a license date) — NPIs began in 2005, so practice likely started earlier
Undergraduate school, residency, fellowship, licensing exams and board certification aren’t in public federal data. Board certification can be confirmed with the certifying board (ABMS member boards for MDs, AOA boards for DOs).
Specialties and state licenses
-
Gastroenterology Physician primary
CA license A72180 (first issued 2000; current)
As reported to the NPI registry. To confirm a license is current, check the state medical board.
Where they work
Hospitals
- Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Santa Barbara, CA
- Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital Santa Barbara, CA
- Ridgecrest Regional Hospital Ridgecrest, CA
Medical groups
- Sansum Clinic (320 clinicians)
Hospitals this clinician lists with Medicare, and groups they bill Medicare through (Care Compare). Affiliation doesn’t mean they see patients at every location.
Medicare patients and services
- Medicare patients, 2024
- 930
- Services billed
- 3,891
- Patients’ average age
- 73
| Service | Times | Patients |
|---|---|---|
| Moderate sedation services provided by the same physician or other qualified health care professional performing a gastrointestinal endoscopic service that sedation supports, requiring the presence of an independent trained observer to assist in the monito | 551 | 540 |
| Removal of polyps or growths of large bowel using an endoscope with mechanical snare | 403 | 403 |
| Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 20-29 minutes | 343 | 233 |
| Biopsy of esophagus, stomach, and/or upper small bowel using a flexible endoscope | 148 | 143 |
| Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 30-39 minutes | 122 | 99 |
| Colorectal cancer screening; colonoscopy on individual at high risk | 54 | 54 |
| New patient office or other outpatient visit, 30-44 minutes | 46 | 46 |
| Diagnostic exam of esophagus, stomach, and/or upper small bowel using a flexible endoscope | 34 | 34 |
| Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making, if using time, at least 35 minutes | 32 | 23 |
| Biopsy of large bowel using a flexible endoscope | 31 | 31 |
Medicare fee-for-service only. CMS leaves out services billed for fewer than 11 patients. These figures describe a practice’s Medicare work; they aren’t a measure of quality.
Medicare prescriptions
| Drug | Prescriptions |
|---|---|
| Pantoprazole Sodium Other prescribers in Santa Barbara, CA | 535 |
| Sod Sulf-Potass Sulf-Mag Sulf (sodium, potassium,mag sulfates) Other prescribers in Santa Barbara, CA | 303 |
| Omeprazole Other prescribers in Santa Barbara, CA | 161 |
| Peg 3350-Electrolyte (sodium chloride/nahco3/kcl/peg) | 114 |
| Linzess (linaclotide) Other prescribers in Santa Barbara, CA | 84 |
| Famotidine Other prescribers in Santa Barbara, CA | 70 |
| Spironolactone Other prescribers in Santa Barbara, CA | 55 |
| Sutab (sod sulf/pot chloride/mag sulf) | 44 |
| Lansoprazole Other prescribers in Santa Barbara, CA | 43 |
| Diphenoxylate-Atropine (diphenoxylate hcl/atropine) Other prescribers in Santa Barbara, CA | 40 |
Prescriptions filled under Medicare Part D, including refills. CMS leaves out drugs prescribed fewer than 11 times.
Payments from drug and device companies
In 2025, 15 companies reported 70 payments worth $1,718 in total to this clinician.
| AbbVie Inc. | $575 |
|---|---|
| Madrigal Pharmaceuticals | $235 |
| Aimmune Therapeutics, Inc. | $121 |
| Janssen Biotech, Inc. | $120 |
| Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc | $97.31 |
| Salix Pharmaceuticals, A Division of Bausch Health US, LLC | $91.11 |
| Pfizer Inc. | $90.26 |
| Gilead Sciences, Inc. | $79.91 |
| Food and Beverage | $1,718 |
|---|
From CMS Open Payments. A payment is not evidence of wrongdoing; many are for consulting, teaching or meals. Clinicians can review and dispute their records with CMS.