16 gastroenterology updates

Here are 16 gastroenterology updates Becker’s has reported on since Aug. 25:

1. The Digestive Health Physicians Association issued a statement of support for the proposed Protecting Patient Access to Cancer Care and Complex Therapies act, introduced by three Republican senators and representatives. 

2. U.S. Digestive Health partnered with Wilmington-based GI Specialists of Delaware.

3. Mayo Clinic Rochester (Minn.) has been named the top hospital in the world for gastroenterology in 2024 by Newsweek.

4. The average colonoscopy screening costs $925 at an ASC versus $1,224 in a hospital outpatient setting, up from $859 and $1,045 in 2017, according to Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliate Blue Health Intelligence’s “Rising Prices for Hospital Outpatient Care” brief, published in September.

5. Pharmacy giant Sanofi warned of supply constraints facing its over-the-counter gastroenterology medication Dulcolax, a laxative.

6. Black Americans are 20 percent more likely to get colorectal cancer and 40 percent more likely to die from it than most other groups, according to research by the Harris Poll on behalf of Olympus. 

7. The annual average billing amount to commercial payers from medical specialists is around $3.8 million, according to AMN Healthcare’s “2023 Review of Physician and Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives” report released July 24. However, gastroenterologists far surpassed that number in 2023, with average billing to commercial payers reaching $5.3 million.

8. Gastro Care Partners plans to implement ModMed’s gastroenterology-specific technology through its more than 45 providers across multiple ASCs and practices. 

9. Opelika-based East Alabama Health opened the new Gastroenterology Center of East Alabama Medical Center to identify, treat and prevent gastrointestinal conditions and digestive issues. 

10. Rome, Ga.-based Harbin Clinic Gastroenterology Endoscopy & GI Lab earned a three-year renewal recognition from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy that honors the center’s dedication to quality and safety.

11. Gastro Care Partners tapped Candace Baer as its new chief operating officer.

12. Gastro Health acquired Gastroenterology Consultants of Polk County in Davenport, Fla.

13. United Digestive partnered with software and automated workflow solutions platform Provation to standardize documentation across all of its endoscopy facilities.

14. Colonoscopies using artificial intelligence increased detection of small polyps — but not colorectal neoplasms or advanced adenomas, which can be indicators of colorectal cancer — and resulted in higher rates of unnecessary polyp removal, according to a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine. 

15. One GI appointed Christa Newton CEO.

16. A first-of-its-kind gastrointestinal disorder center is being planned on the Mercy Hospital campus in Oklahoma City following a $7.5 million philanthropy gift.