GI & Endoscopy

Here are five gastroenterologists making recent Becker’s headlines: 1. Gastroenterologist Patrick Okolo, MD, was appointed chief medical officer of Sonoma Valley Hospital in Sonoma, Calif., according to the hospital’s October 2025 board letter. Dr. Okolo previously served as executive medical…

Gastroenterologist Patrick Okolo, MD, has been appointed chief medical officer of Sonoma Valley Hospital in Sonoma, Calif., according to the hospital’s October 2025 board letter. Dr. Okolo previously served as executive medical director and chief of gastroenterology at Rochester Regional…

Here are five major partnerships or acquisitions shaping the GI industry: 1. Exton, Pa.-based U.S. Digestive Health was acquired by Optum’s SCA Health in early 2025. The platform includes 24 ASCs, 40 practice sites and more than 250 providers across…

Pentax Medical has sold its C2 CryoBalloon technology, a minimally invasive tool for treating gastrointestinal conditions, to Merit Medical Systems, according to an Oct. 15 news release. The transaction supports Pentax Medical’s focus on flexible reusable endoscopy, allowing the company…

Here are the gastroenterologists leading the GI departments for U.S. News & World Report‘s top five hospitals for gastroenterology and GI surgery in 2025-26.  1. Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.)Darrell Pardi, MD, is the division chair of gastroenterology and hepatology at…

The American Gastroenterological Association is joining a coalition of healthcare groups, led by the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, urging UnitedHealthcare to reverse a new policy cutting reimbursements for certified registered nurse anesthetists by 15%, according to an AGA notice.…

Dalton, Ga.-based Hamilton Physician Group – Gastroenterology, part of Dalton, Ga.-based Vitruvian Health has welcomed Haoran Peng, MD, PhD, to its medical staff.  Dr. Peng also sees patients at Hamilton Health–Calhoun (Ga.). He treats a range of gastrointestinal and pancreatic…

Hospitals and medical groups are under historic workforce strain. Nearly one in three staff are now non-clinical, and despite billions spent on recruitment and retention, turnover continues to increase. Much of the strain comes from manual, phone-based work: scheduling procedures,…

Louisville, KY.-based Norton Audubon Hospital has become the first facility in Kentucky to offer endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation for pancreatic cancer, a minimally invasive procedure that targets tumors with greater precision. Gastroenterologist William Evans III, MD, performed the state’s first…

Neptune, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center has launched a gastroenterology program focused on advanced diagnostic and surgical care for complex digestive diseases.  Led by Lee Peng, MD, the program offers minimally invasive and endoscopic treatments for conditions…