Here are five gastroenterology controversies Becker’s has reported on in the last five months:
1. In April, the National Institutes of Health withdrew renewal grant applications for the Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers. Patient advocacy organizations, including the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, have called on Congress and the Rare Disease Congressional Caucus to reinstate funding. The NIH cited new internal policy changes when it withdrew funding for the “critically important” program.
2. Also in April, Bakersfield, Calif.-based gastroenterologist Rajeev Manu, MD, was placed on five years of probation after mistakenly administering treatment intended for another patient to a 67-year-old COVID-19 patient, leading to the patient’s death. The 2020 incident occurred during the height of the pandemic, when Dr. Manu ordered a PEG tube placement and EGD for the wrong patient. His attorney attributed the error to systemic failures and resource shortages rather than solely individual negligence.
3. In May, Florida gastroenterologist Scott Wiesen, MD, surrendered his medical license following an investigation into a colonoscopy he performed at Naples, Fla.-based Premier Endoscopy Center. The surrender halted a Florida Department of Health inquiry, ending his ability to practice medicine in the state.
4. In June, Great Neck, N.Y.-based gastroenterologist Joseph Golyan, MD, was charged with grand larceny for allegedly collecting over $100,000 in Social Security Disability and Early Retirement benefits while continuing to treat patients and bill Medicare. Between September 2021 and May 2025, Dr. Golyan allegedly earned more than $700,000 in clinical billing while failing to disclose his ongoing income to federal programs.
5. A Naples, Fla., patient filed a malpractice lawsuit against Premier Endoscopy Center and Dr. Wiesen, alleging that a routine 2023 colonoscopy left her with severe complications. The patient, Elaine Bredehoft, claims her colon was punctured and her ovary and fallopian tube were mistakenly removed during the procedure. She required emergency surgery and 52 stitches to repair the injuries.
