Dr. Peter Senatore, a colorectal surgeon at Inspira Health, highlights the alarming rise in colorectal cancer (CRC) cases among younger individuals, with rates increasing by up to 185% in those aged 20-24. Despite CRC being highly treatable when detected early, 38% of Americans over 45 have never undergone screening, often due to fear, anxiety, or lack of awareness. While colonoscopy remains the gold standard, newer blood-based tests offer a less invasive alternative, though their accuracy is still evolving.
Author: Abhay Panchal
The management of large colorectal polyps has significantly advanced with the rise of endoscopic techniques such as endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), minimizing the need for surgical intervention. Drs. Moamen Gabr and Jeffrey Mosko highlight the safety, cost-effectiveness, and precision of endoscopic resection, emphasizing that most polyps can be removed endoscopically with low recurrence rates. However, Dr. Ira Leeds, a colorectal surgeon, urges caution, particularly for rectal and cecal lesions, where surgical approaches such as transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) or laparoscopic colectomy may offer advantages in specimen quality, risk stratification, and long-term surveillance. The discussion…
Walgreens has announced a $10 billion deal with private equity firm Sycamore Partners to take the struggling drugstore chain private, ending its nearly century-long run as a public company. The deal, expected to close in Q4 2025, includes an $11.45 per-share cash offer with potential additional payouts, bringing the total transaction value up to $23.7 billion, including debt. Facing significant challenges such as declining retail pharmacy profitability, competition from CVS and Amazon, and a faltering healthcare expansion strategy, Walgreens has been closing stores and restructuring operations.
Accolade, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACCD) has partnered with Oshi Health, a virtual clinic specializing in gastrointestinal (GI) conditions, to enhance access to high-quality digestive health care. This partnership, alongside Accolade’s existing collaboration with Cylinder, addresses a critical gap in employer benefit designs, as GI diseases impact up to 70 million Americans annually and contribute to $136 billion in healthcare costs. Oshi’s multidisciplinary team—including GI specialists, dietitians, and psychologists—offers telehealth-based, whole-person care that accelerates diagnosis and improves symptom management, with 92% of patients achieving control within 10 weeks.
The HIMSS 2025 conference in Las Vegas featured major healthcare technology announcements. Epic is expanding beyond EHRs by developing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to compete with Oracle and Workday. Baxter introduced a wearable AI-powered communication device for care teams. Microsoft launched Dragon Copilot, an AI assistant with voice dictation and ambient listening. InterSystems unveiled IntelliCare, an AI-driven EHR designed for digital transformation.
With the U.S. facing a projected shortage of 1,630 gastroenterologists by 2025, healthcare leaders are increasingly focused on recruitment challenges and costs.A new AMN Healthcare report, The Cost of Physician Turnover and the Economic Impact of Physicians, details the significant expenses associated with onboarding a gastroenterologist: Salary: $531,000Signing bonus: $46,000
Guthrie has partnered with Gastroenterology Associates of Ithaca (GAI) to enhance gastroenterological care in Tompkins County. While GAI patients will continue office visits at their current location, endoscopic procedures will now take place at Guthrie’s state-of-the-art GI suite in Ithaca City Harbor or Guthrie Cortland Medical Center. The collaboration, effective March 3, ensures continuity of care with all existing insurance plans accepted. Leaders from both organizations emphasize the partnership’s alignment in providing high-quality GI services and improving patient experience in the region.
Supergut, a gut health brand specializing in GLP-1 nutrition, has secured a significant growth investment from Full Frame Growth Partners and appointed former Vital Proteins CEO, Tracey Warner Halama, as its new CEO, while founder Marc Washington transitions to a strategic role. With sales surging 172% in 2024, Supergut is expanding its retail presence in Target, Sprouts, and GNC, offering clinically backed shakes, bars, and powders that support gut health and naturally stimulate GLP-1 hormone production. The brand aims to strengthen its position in the digestive health category, grow on Amazon, and potentially conduct further clinical research on its GLP-1…
Season 2 of Brains & Guts explores the evolving AI landscape in gastroenterology. The first episode features Dr. Aasma Shaukat, professor of medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and ACG Board of Trustees member, discussing AI’s impact on GI care.
At the ECCO 2025 Congress, researchers presented a study showing that machine learning can identify gut microbial biomarkers that differentiate IBD patients—particularly those with Crohn’s disease—from healthy individuals. The study analyzed stool samples from over 3,700 participants, finding that supervised machine learning had the highest diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.971).