Newly appointed Chief Medical Officer Eugenio Hernandez, MD — who has been a trailblazer since co-founding the practice in 1998 — joined Becker’s to discuss his top priorities for the organization in the next year.
Question: As the new chief medical officer of Gastro Health, what are your top priorities for the organization in the coming year?
Editor’s note: This interview was edited lightly for clarity and length.
Dr. Eugenio Hernandez: There are three main areas I’ve been focusing on this year. First, physician engagement and leadership. We want to build out physician engagement and leadership at all levels. Currently, we have regional clinical leaders, but we need a deeper bench. We’d like to mentor younger doctors interested in leadership and develop physician leaders across all aspects of our organization — not just in medical areas, but also in business development, AI, recruiting, compliance and quality improvement.
Second, I want to ensure we’re providing the right resources and support to our physician partners and providers. That includes clear communication between the support center and individual care centers. We also want to equip care centers with the resources they need to achieve their regional goals and foster collaboration between centers to implement regional strategies or patient engagement initiatives.
The third area is maximizing growth opportunities. The GI field is facing a workforce shortage, and as the population ages and screening colonoscopies become more common among younger individuals, there’s still a large portion of the population that isn’t getting screened. Our focus is on growing our business organically. We also want to ensure that physicians have opportunities to not only participate in ASCs but also to invest in them. This has been critical to GI practices for many years. Additionally, we recognize the increasing importance of advanced practice providers in ASCs. Patients respond well to APPs, and they play a crucial role in patient care. One of our initiatives is developing an APP training program to onboard and train APPs more efficiently. Training has always been a barrier to hiring APPs, so we’re creating a comprehensive training strategy that can be applied across our platform. These are our three main priorities.
Q: How would you characterize Gastro Health’s current growth strategy, and what factors do you consider when evaluating expansion opportunities?
EH: Right now, our primary focus is organic growth. In the past, there was significant M&A activity across GI platforms, but with market shifts and rising interest rates, our approach has evolved. We still pursue M&A opportunities where it makes sense, but we’re also emphasizing de novo growth — establishing new care centers in areas with high patient demand.
De novo expansion is more challenging because it requires strong mentorship. You can’t just place a physician in a new market without ensuring they have adequate support. That’s why we’re intentional about how we grow.
Additionally, we’re developing new service lines. One example is our focus on hemorrhoid treatment centers—one of the most searched GI-related topics online. Despite the high demand, many patients avoid seeking care. We see an opportunity to improve patient outcomes in this space.
Another growth area is chronic care management and remote patient monitoring. Hospitalizations significantly increase healthcare costs. By implementing remote monitoring and chronic care programs, we can reduce hospital admissions and improve overall system efficiency. This benefits patients and helps control healthcare spending.
Q: Over the next five years, what will be the biggest differentiator for successful GI groups, and how is Gastro Health positioning itself to stay ahead?
EH: The most important factors for success in the next five years — and beyond — are having the right team, leadership, and growth strategy. We must stay dynamic and listen to the marketplace and our patients to understand their evolving needs.
We are constantly evaluating new service opportunities for our physicians. Some services make sense to bring in-house, while others are best managed through partnerships. Our goal is to stay ahead of the curve and deliver exceptional healthcare.
Behind all of this is having a strong team. You can’t succeed without the right people in place. Our organization is built on a patient- and physician-centric approach. We have an excellent executive team and a strong support system that prioritizes sustainable, strategic growth.
Healthcare changes quickly, and we’ve seen rapid shifts even since the start of this year. Our strategy is designed for longevity, focusing on building rather than just acquiring. That approach ensures we remain successful and adaptable to industry changes.
