Here are five GI groups leveraging new techniques, technologies and developments to make the most of increased demand for GI services.
1. Martinsburg, W.Va.-based West Virginia University Berkeley Medical Center has opened a new bariatric surgery clinic. The Dorothy McCormack Center will be led by Anthony Mark, MD, medical director of bariatric surgery, and Elizabeth Zubowicz, MD, a foregut and bariatric surgeon. The center will offer laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and endoscopic weight loss solutions.
2. Chicago-based GI Partners of Illinois has integrated AI-driven solutions across multiple touchpoints to improve diagnostics, streamline workflows and boost patient engagement.
“When I took this role, we were stuck in the past. I told the executive board, ‘70% of the patients we’ll see are millennials. If we don’t have a digital presence and leverage AI, we’ll fall behind,'” Geogy Vennikandam, MD, COO of GI Partners of Illinois, told Becker’s. “We’re developing an app, expanding partnerships and embracing AI to revolutionize patient care.” The center currently utilizes Medtronic’s GI Genius, Heidi AI, AnX Robotica and AI-backed nutrition services from Nashville, Tenn.-based Sylvan Health.
3. Management services organization GI Alliance has launched a population health management program, which includes chronic care and principal care management programs. It will be powered by GI Alliance partner Cosán, a provider of population health programs. Cosán’s goal is to deliver a balance of technology, insights and human care to patients in between office visits.
4. Los Angeles-based Unio Specialty Care has partnered with Cambridge, Mass.-based Iterative Health to implement Iterative’s Skout AI technology at ASCs across California to enhance colonoscopy and colorectal cancer screenings.
5. Englewood (N.J.) Health has introduced a new specialized program targeting individuals diagnosed with colorectal cancer before the age of 50. The program will create a team of specialists, including oncology patient navigators, surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists and integrative medicine experts, along with fertility preservation planning, mental health services, nutritional guidance, genetic counseling, pain management and support groups.
