Becker’s Healthcare asked C-suite executives from hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers, and universities across the U.S. to share the most pressing workforce challenges facing healthcare in 2026 and the strategies organizations are using to address them. The article features insights from 103 healthcare leaders, all of whom are scheduled to speak at the 16th Annual Becker’s Healthcare Meeting, taking place April 13–16, 2026, in Chicago. The discussion is part of an ongoing Becker’s series highlighting perspectives from healthcare executives participating in the conference. The leaders outline key workforce issues ranging from staff shortages and burnout to recruitment, retention, and…
Author: Abhay Panchal
The FDA has cleared the Xpert GI Panel from Cepheid, a multiplex PCR test that detects 11 gastrointestinal pathogens from a single stool sample in just over an hour. The panel identifies eight bacteria, two parasites, and one virus commonly responsible for diarrheal syndromes acquired outside hospital settings. The test runs on Cepheid’s GeneXpert platform and can simultaneously detect multiple pathogens using a 10-color module. Traditional microbiology testing for diarrheal illnesses often requires multiple cultures and can take several days, sometimes missing coinfections or low-abundance pathogens. With an estimated 179 million cases of acute gastroenteritis occurring annually in the U.S.,…
A new document from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) highlights the continued underrepresentation of women in gastroenterology and academic medicine. In 2016, only 16.4% of practicing gastroenterologists in the U.S. were women, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). By 2021, that number had increased slightly to 19.7%. Encouragingly, 38% of first-year GI fellows were women in 2022–2023, suggesting that the pipeline of female gastroenterologists is growing.
February 2026 was defined by durability data and real-world insight across inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with multiple long-term analyses presented at the 21st Congress of European Crohn’s and Colitis Congress (ECCO). Extended findings from the LUCENT clinical program reinforced sustained efficacy and safety of mirikizumab in ulcerative colitis (UC) through 4 years of continuous therapy, strengthening its position as a potential disease-modifying option. Complementing this, head-to-head SEQUENCE data continued to shape treatment sequencing decisions in Crohn’s disease, particularly for patients with prior anti-TNF exposure, while interim results from the real-world PROFUNDUS study helped clarify how upadacitinib performs outside the constraints…
Endoluminal robotics may represent one of the most significant technological shifts in gastroenterology since the advent of modern endoscopy. According to medtech strategist Steve Bell, robotic platforms designed for the gastrointestinal tract could dramatically expand the range of procedures that can be performed endoscopically—potentially transforming GI from a primarily diagnostic specialty into a truly interventional field. Today, many advanced endoscopic procedures—including endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), and endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG)—remain limited by operator skill, long procedure times, and inconsistent outcomes. These factors restrict adoption, particularly outside highly specialized centers in Asia where training and expertise are…
Artificial intelligence and its use in healthcare is a frontier that is both promising and potentially perilous. At ACG 2025, Brennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS, the director of health services research at Cedars-Sinai, in Los Angeles, sat down with GEN to discuss the current state of AI and the role he hopes it will play in healthcare over the next decade.
Private equity’s presence in gastroenterology in 2026 is beginning to look different than it has in previous years as deals slow down in volume but grow in size.At the same time, PE groups and GI stakeholders alike continue to respond to new waves of regulatory reforms shaping the scope and impact of PE activity in the space.
A growing number of parents are investing in tests, supplements, and lifestyle programs designed to shape their babies’ gut microbiomes, reflecting the rising influence of microbiome science on early childhood health. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, startups and health companies are marketing products and services aimed at helping infants develop healthier gut bacteria — which some researchers believe may influence long-term risks of conditions such as allergies, asthma, obesity, and gastrointestinal disorders. A New Parenting Trend Companies now offer a range of microbiome-focused offerings for infants, including: Some programs even encourage parents to expose infants to…
Despite being largely preventable, colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, highlighting gaps between screening recommendations and real-world implementation. In a commentary on Medscape, Alicia H. Muratore emphasizes that while colonoscopy remains a cornerstone of prevention, reducing CRC mortality requires greater focus on screening participation, quality metrics, and broader risk reduction strategies. Screening Works — But Participation Matters Long-term studies show that colonoscopy with high-quality polypectomy can reduce CRC mortality by 60–70%. However, the effectiveness of screening programs depends heavily on patient participation and follow-through, as highlighted by results from the NordICC…
We have all seen the unfortunate headlines. Why are we seeing a rise of early-onset colorectal cancer and what can we do about it? Dr. Barnell, co-founder and CMO of Geneoscopy, joins the Gut Doctor Podcast to answer these questions and more!