GI & Endoscopy

The American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy petitioned Congress to reject the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's recommendation to eliminate the Merit-based Incentive Payment System and establish the Voluntary Value Program in its place.

Here are eight practices and hospitals making headlines this past week.

Lewes, Del.-based Seaside Gastroenterology Consultants will add Heather Barton, MD, to its staff, effective in July, Cape Gazette reports.

Pfizer will fund the American Gastroenterological Association's Young Investigator Pilot Research Awards in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Vallath Balakrishnan, MD, 83, died March 20, The New Indian Express reports.

Abbvie's Vice President of U.S. Immunology Mark Stenhouse is joining Exact Sciences as president of the company's Cologuard product, effective April 2.

Here are four updates on GI companies from the past week.

Christina Ha, MD, performed late-night talk show and Oscar host Jimmy Kimmel's first colonoscopy at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, USA Today reports. Mr. Kimmel tweeted a video of preparing for the procedure.

Eduardo Alcocer, MD, is a gastroenterologist at Austin (Texas) Gastroenterology.

Harry Connick Jr. and Jill Connick partnered with Exact Sciences to promote colon cancer screening.