Gastroenterology’s dealmaking landscape is shifting. Five recent transactions reveal an industry moving past aggressive consolidation toward a phase defined by operational efficiency, care quality and strategic alignment.
Here’s what each deal signals about where GI is headed:
United Digestive, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield expand partnership
On Jan. 12, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield announced a multi-year provider network agreement with Atlanta-based United Digestive, a private equity-backed physician practice management company supporting GI providers across the Southeast. United Digestive is backed by Kohlberg & Co. and Ares Management.
Rather than another buy-and-build roll-up, it’s a payer alignment play. According to Bain & Co.’s Global Healthcare “Private Equity Report 2026,” the industry has shifted from raw consolidation toward a period where operational excellence drives returns. This partnership reflects that evolution, prioritizing care quality and payer integration over sheer scale.
Sarasota Memorial Health Care’s $12M endoscopy center
Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Health Care System plans to open a $12 million outpatient endoscopy and digestive health center adjacent to its Venice, Fla., hospital. The investment is backed by demand. Since the Venice campus opened in late 2021, GI procedure volume has nearly quadrupled, from just over 1,000 cases in fiscal year 2022 to 3,762 in fiscal year 2025. All endoscopies are currently performed inside the hospital.
The new facility is part of a broader industry trend. GI procedure volume continues to climb as colorectal cancer screening expands to younger patients and more cases migrate to outpatient settings. Moving routine procedures out of the hospital will free up space for complex cases and improve access for patients seeking standard screenings. The outpatient center will remain a hospital department, according to a news release from SMH.
Carle Health, Christie Clinic partner to open endoscopy facility
Healthcare system Carle Health and physician-owned Christie Clinic, both based in Champaign, Ill., have partnered to open the Champaign Endoscopy Center. The new facility will expand colonoscopy and upper endoscopy services currently offered at Carle Foundation Hospital and Champaign Surgery Center.
The deal reflects a growing preference for joint venture models over outright acquisition. Health systems are increasingly pursuing these partnerships to expand access while sharing both risk and investment. In a 2025 VMG Health survey of health system executives, outpatient surgery ranked as the top service line for joint venture partnerships, with more than 60% of respondents naming ASCs as a primary growth interest.
NextServices Partners with One GI, 100ms
In January, NextServices announced a three-way collaboration with GI platform One GI and AI company 100ms to build an AI-driven operating model across One GI’s network. The partnership targets patient access workflows first, specifically colonoscopy recalls and referrals, areas where delays have long created care gaps.
AI agents operate in real time, managing outreach, patient interactions and follow-on actions within defined parameters, according to a Jan. 29 news release. The deployment illustrates how GI groups are increasingly turning to AI not just to improve clinical detection, but to solve the administrative and access challenges that affect patient outcomes upstream of the procedure itself.
UPMC acquires Pennsylvania Gastroenterology
On March 6, Pittsburgh-based UPMC acquired Pennsylvania Gastroenterology in Camp Hill, Pa. The practice, now operating as UPMC Gastroenterology Associates of Central Pa., will gain access to expanded resources and new technologies through the health system.
The transaction fits a well-documented pattern of accelerating consolidation. As independent practices face rising costs and administrative burdens, hospital systems have steadily consolidated physician employment. Between 2019 and 2023, the share of physician practices owned by hospitals, health systems, or other corporate entities jumped from 39% to 59%, while physician employment by these entities rose from 62% to 78%, according to a December 2025 report from the Progressive Policy Institute.
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