Dr. Paul Limburg, CMO at Exact Sciences and emeritus professor at Mayo Clinic, discusses advances in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, including mailed FIT programs to boost screening in rural and underserved populations. He covers developments in multi-target stool testing, addressing gastroenterologists’ skepticism, ensuring follow-up colonoscopies for positive tests, AI integration, microbiome research, and potential direct-to-consumer testing. He also shares insights on transitioning from academic to industry roles and the future of stool-based testing alongside colonoscopy.
Author: Abhay Panchal
AGA’s new clinical practice guideline on the pharmacological management of moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease offers 16 evidence-based recommendations to guide treatment decisions. This guideline incorporates the latest comparative research on 11 different medications, helping you determine the most effective therapies for your patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease. Key updates AGA recommends the use of infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab, or upadacitinib, and suggests the use of certolizumab pegol or vedolizumab for managing moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease. Notably, the guideline emphasizes early use of these advanced therapies — rather than step-up approaches that rely on corticosteroids or immunomodulators first — to improve…
In this episode of Private Practice Perspectives, Dr. Naresh Gunaratnam, current president and board chair of Digestive Health Physician Association, speaks with Dr. Larry Kim, current president of AGA, about how GI societies can best support fellows and early career physicians.
By 2037, the U.S. faces a projected shortfall of ~1,390 gastroenterologists, driven by rising patient demand, limited fellowship positions, and uneven geographic distribution. Currently, there are ~19,200 gastroenterologists, including ~1,600 pediatric specialists, with about 1 in 6 working in locum tenens roles to fill coverage gaps. Recruitment is challenging, with median vacancy times of 186 days, and each gastroenterologist generates ~$2.9 million in annual hospital revenue. Key strategies to mitigate shortages include GI hospitalist models and integrating locum tenens gastroenterologists to maintain access, improve patient flow, and sustain hospital revenue, particularly in underserved regions.
Medicare just rewrote the telehealth rulebook for 2026. The new funding bill and final Physician Fee Schedule lock in some long-awaited wins—like permanent virtual direct supervision and teaching-physician flexibility—but also roll back a major pandemic-era convenience: doctors can no longer bill from home using their regular practice address. For many GI and specialty groups, that change means operational headaches and new compliance work. AGA has already flagged it as a key advocacy issue to fix before implementation.
Three Takeaways for the Future of GI 1. Cancer Screening Enters a New Scale PhaseAbbott’s acquisition signals a structural shift: early cancer detection (MCED, MRD, noninvasive screening) is moving from emerging innovation to mass-market scale.With Abbott’s global distribution, regulatory experience, and manufacturing capacity, adoption will accelerate far beyond what Exact could have achieved independently. 2. Cologuard Just Got a Global Engine Behind It Expect a dramatic expansion of both Cologuard and Cologuard Plus—driven by: For GI practices, this means a larger population entering screening earlier, often before they reach specialist care—reshaping referral patterns and CRC prevention strategies. 3. Abbott Is…
In a major move to strengthen the link between digestive and mental health, Cylinder Health — formerly Vivante Health — has appointed Dr. Grace Niu as Head of Gut-Brain Health and Dr. Ujjwal Ramtekkar to its Clinical Advisory Board. Both experts bring deep clinical and academic experience in neuroscience and behavioral medicine, signaling a strategic push toward integrated gut-brain care. With over 70 million Americans affected by GI disorders, Cylinder’s virtual platform already supports patients with conditions like IBS, chronic pain, anxiety, and disordered eating. The new appointments will expand gut-brain–specific therapy, clinical triage, and digital psychological care across all…
After years of consolidation and corporate medicine, a quiet rebellion is taking root — doctors are reclaiming control of their practices. In her article for Medical Economics, Melissa Starowitz explores why growing numbers of physicians are leaving large health systems to build independent models centered on autonomy, purpose, and patient connection. With burnout rates nearing 63% and administrative tasks consuming twice as much time as patient care, many clinicians feel trapped in bureaucracy. Independence, once viewed as risky, is now seen as a path to renewal — offering freedom to craft care models aligned with personal values, choose technologies, and…
In a candid interview with GI and Hepatology News, Dr. Manol Jovani, medical director for advanced therapeutic endoscopy at Gastro Health Florida, shares lessons from a career spanning 70+ research papers, global presentations, and groundbreaking work in third-space and bariatric endoscopy. Dr. Jovani recounts performing a 12-hour endoscopic removal of early gastric cancer, preserving a patient’s stomach and quality of life—a feat once possible only through surgery. He reflects on how lumen-apposing stents and third-space endoscopy are redefining minimally invasive care, enabling drainage procedures and early cancer treatment without open operations.
In a major announcement from Tokyo, Olympus Corporation revealed a bold new strategy to transform the future of endoscopy-enabled care—shifting from traditional hardware to AI-powered, robotic, and cloud-connected solutions that promise earlier detection, safer procedures, and seamless continuity of care. Under CEO Bob White’s leadership, Olympus’ three strategic pillars—Innovation-driven Growth, Simplicity, and Accountability—aim to accelerate MedTech innovation while improving operational agility. The company will undergo a global organizational transformation projected to yield ¥24 billion in annual savings and streamline its workforce by about 2,000 positions. Financially, Olympus is targeting 5% annual revenue growth, 10% EPS CAGR, and enhanced free cash…