In this episode of the CEO Podcast, we chat with Beth Houck, the passionate and driven CEO of SonarMD. Beth takes us through her inspiring journey—from being the right-hand person at several startups to finally stepping into the CEO role in 2021. She opens up about the highs and lows of leading a healthcare startup, how SonarMD is changing the game in managing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and why company culture is at the heart of everything she does.
Author: Abhay Panchal
What happens when a data scientist with IBS meets a digital health operator scaling virtual GI care? You get more than an acquisition—you get a glimpse of where gastroenterology is headed.On this episode of The Scope Forward Show, Asaf Kraus (founder of Dieta Health) and Bill Snyder (founder & CEO of Cylinder Health) join me to announce Dieta’s acquisition. But we didn’t stop at the deal. We talked AI, clinical outcomes, and why digestive health—despite affecting millions—remains underrecognized in digital health. Cylinder has already served 100,000 patients. GI care represents a $136 billion market, mostly buried in fragmented smaller markets. That’s starting to change.Asaf’s…
In 2024 and into 2025, a new wave of strategic buyers—pharmaceutical companies, insurers, and medical supply distributors—have entered the physician practice management (PPM) M&A space, reshaping the market after years of stagnation. These buyers are motivated by vertical integration, diversification, and a desire to control care delivery. Despite persistent headwinds such as regulatory scrutiny, rising interest rates, staffing challenges, and decreased Medicare reimbursements, strategic deals surged. Notable acquisitions include Cencora’s $4.6B purchase of Retina Consultants of America and Cardinal Health’s $2.8B investment in GI Alliance.
Novo Nordisk has signed a $1 billion deal with Lexicon Pharmaceuticals for exclusive global rights to LX9851, an experimental oral drug targeting obesity and metabolic disorders. The agreement gives Lexicon $75 million upfront, with additional milestone-based payments. LX9851 targets fat metabolism and has shown enhanced weight loss effects when combined with Novo’s semaglutide (Wegovy). The deal is part of Novo Nordisk’s aggressive strategy to expand its obesity portfolio amid rising global demand and competition from Eli Lilly’s Zepbound.
The U.S. healthcare system is facing a looming crisis as a large portion of its physician workforce nears retirement, with over 30% of doctors aged 60 or older and a projected shortage of more than 81,000 physicians by 2035. Despite rising medical school enrollment, outdated Medicare residency caps and increasing burnout are limiting new physician supply, while many young medical professionals are opting out of patient care entirely. Experts warn that without urgent changes—such as expanding training programs, embracing advanced practice providers, leveraging technology, and improving workplace conditions—the system may struggle to meet the growing healthcare demands of an aging…
Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2025 is almost here — make sure to add these sessions to your calendar and get the latest updates on essential practice management issues and emerging technologies. View these and more sessions in the DDW Meeting Planner. If you haven’t already, don’t forget to register for DDW — rates increase May 1.
With 30% of the population already affected and projections soaring to 41.4% by 2050, Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) is rapidly emerging as the silent giant of modern chronic disease. More than a liver issue, MASLD is now seen as a complex metabolic disease requiring collaboration across hepatology, endocrinology, primary care, nutrition, and more. Harvard’s Dr. Christos Mantzoros says: “We don’t have enough experts to treat these patients… We need collaboration, training, and professional societies building bridges.”
The average monthly gastroenterology case volume at ASCs in 2024 reached 176, up from 167 in 2023, according to HST Pathways’ latest “State of the Industry Report.“The report surveyed 590 ASCs in 47 states.Here are five more key insights
In this episode, Venture Science founding partner Matt Oguz sits down with the founder & CEO of Jona, a trailblazing company unlocking the secrets of the microbiome to drive personalized health insights. Explore how gut health is rapidly becoming central to preventative medicine, and how microbiome diagnostics are shedding new light on chronic conditions like: You’ll also learn how Jona is turning complex microbiome data into actionable guidance—and why this matters for the future of health and wellness.
Medscape Gastroenterologists and Suicide Report 2025: Key Takeaways