The AGA Future Leaders Program has selected 16 early-career gastroenterologists and hepatologists for its 2025-2026 cohort, aimed at developing leadership skills within AGA and the field of digestive diseases. The program kicks off on March 14-15 at AGA headquarters, where participants will engage with renowned mentors, explore AGA operations, and attend a keynote by GI Futurist Praveen Suthrum on exponential change in gastroenterology. Over 18 months, they will collaborate on career-focused projects shaping the future of the field.
Author: Abhay Panchal
As the Gut Doctor podcast continues to raise awareness for colorectal cancer, Dr. Parikh interviews Dr. Paul Limburg, MD, who is a gastroenterologist and chief medical officer for Exact Sciences. They discuss colon cancer prevalence, barriers to CRC screening, and the role of stool based testing such as Cologuard.
The 2025 AGA Tech Summit’s Shark Tank Pitch Competition highlights five cutting-edge startups revolutionizing patient care, diagnostics, and treatment in gastroenterology. These finalists, chosen from a highly competitive pool, will present game-changing innovations aimed at tackling critical healthcare challenges.
Neptune Medical has expanded its collaboration with Nvidia to integrate AI into its GI robotic system using Nvidia’s Isaac for Healthcare platform. This partnership enables high-fidelity simulations of human anatomy and physiological processes, accelerating AI-driven precision and safety in robotic-assisted GI procedures. The move aligns with broader medtech AI adoption, with companies like Johnson & Johnson MedTech, Medtronic, and Asensus Surgical also partnering with Nvidia to enhance surgical and diagnostic AI capabilities.
The evolution of endoscopy has continually advanced from Hippocrates’ candle-lit specula to today’s 4K video endoscopes with cutting-edge diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities. The latest frontier in this evolution is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), which enhances image analysis, decision-making, and clinical workflows. Originally introduced through research, AI is now making its way into routine endoscopic practice, further refining diagnostic precision and minimally invasive interventions, ultimately improving patient care and outcomes.
A new Health Affairs study reveals that private equity (PE) acquisitions of physician practices are fueling rapid growth in clinician headcounts while also driving significant turnover — raising alarms about long-term effects on patient care and physician stability. Focusing on 200 ophthalmology practices acquired between 2014 and 2021, researchers found that clinician headcounts grew by 46.8% within three years post-acquisition, but physician turnover surged by 265% compared to non-PE-owned practices. Notably, departing physicians were more likely to be older (ages 40-60), possibly reflecting cash-outs by partner-owners who benefited financially from the acquisition.
The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the authority of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), warning that millions of Americans could lose access to essential colorectal cancer (CRC) screenings if the Task Force’s role is undermined. In an amicus brief filed in Kennedy v. Braidwood, the ACG emphasized that limiting USPSTF’s authority would severely jeopardize decades of progress in CRC prevention, especially as incidence rates are rising among younger adults.
On March 5, dozens of major U.S. hospital systems and healthcare providers filed lawsuits against Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) and its affiliates, accusing the insurance giant of underpaying them by billions of dollars — escalating an already massive legal battle over alleged antitrust violations. The lawsuits, filed in federal courts in California, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, come as these providers formally opted out of a $2.8 billion class-action settlement currently awaiting final approval in federal court in Alabama.
In a recent study from Germany, researchers evaluated ChatGPT’s ability to answer patient questions about pancreatic cancer surgery, comparing its responses to those from two specialist surgeons. The goal was to assess accuracy, clarity for non-specialists, and empathy — essential components of effective patient communication.
Richard Peek, MD, director of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has been elected vice president of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) — the specialty’s most prominent international organization. Dr. Peek, who holds the Mina Cobb Wallace Professorship of Immunology and professorships in Medicine and Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, will serve in successive one-year terms as vice president, president-elect, president (2027-2028), and then past president.