WEO Webinar Series: Impact of COVID-19 on Endoscopy Services (WEO)
Webinar by World Endoscopy Organization. Date: December 5, 2020. Time: 8 am EST. Catch Dr. Mark B. Pochapin’s talk on – ‘The role of GI Societies to maintain safe practice and support physicians.’

Scope Forward podcast – Interview with Scott Fraser (Senior Advisor, Private Equity at HIG Capital) (Episode 7)
Now, listen to the interviews while you workout! Praveen Suthrum’s conversations with GI leaders are now available via the Scope Forward podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and elsewhere.

Physician employment: The path forward in the COVID-19 era (McKinsey & Company)
The COVID-19 pandemic has led many providers and physicians to consider how to maintain clinical quality standards and financial stability. McKinsey launched a national survey of general and specialty physicians six weeks into the pandemic.

PE firm invests in Michigan GI practice, creates new platform (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)
Partha Nandi, MD, of The Center for Digestive Health, will serve as president and practice CEO. Scott Fraser, former president of practice management of Physicians Endoscopy, will join the platform’s board of directors.

CRC prevention can’t wait — 2 gastroenterologists on precautions needed to continue screening during the pandemic (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)
American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Value of Colonoscopy co-chairs Joseph Vicari, MD, and Jonathan Cohen, talked about COVID-19’s effect on CRC.

DHPA Opposes Most Favored Nation Rule Announced by CMS (DHPA)
“The effects of this rule could be seriously detrimental to our healthcare system, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Glenn Littenberg, DHPA chair of health policy.

Motus GI partners with Texas hospital to improve colonoscopy efficiency  (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)
Physicians can use the Pure-Vu system to improve inadequately prepared bowels. The system helps the hospital lower length of stay and allow for colonoscopies to proceed as usual.

Despite COVID-19 disruption, PE investments running rampant (Becker’s ASC Review)
Here are eight updates on ASC companies and industry-relevant companies to note.

Medicare Finalizes 2021 Physician Pay Rule With E/M Changes (Medscape)
“This finalized policy marks the most significant updates to E/M codes in 30 years, reducing burden on doctors imposed by the coding system and rewarding time spent evaluating and managing their patients’ care,”  Verma said.

10 hot spots for GI development over the last 3 years (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)
Over the last three years, Becker’s ASC Review reported on 98 new gastroenterology developments. There have been 41 new developments with GI services in 2020 so far.

Will You Fight Flu? A Vaccine Education Initiative for GI Patients and Physicians  (ACG)
Dr. Francis A. Farraye and Dr. Freddy Caldera are spearheading an ACG initiative to promulgate patient and physician education.

Ink Masters: The Art and Science of Colonic Tattooing (Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News)
The use of endoscopic tattooing to localize a suspected or known malignant lesion in the colon is widespread.

Tiny cameras inside pills to help treat Scottish bowel cancer patients (The Scotsman)
Scottish bowel cancer patients are going to be fed pills with tiny cameras inside as an alternative to intrusive examinations.

AGA Registry Analysis Confirms Utility of FMT for Recurrent C. difficile  (Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News)
“This is the largest prospective study to date of effectiveness and safety outcomes after FMT,” Colleen Kelly, MD.

Helmsley awards $4.7 million for Crohn’s diet therapy research (Healio)
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust awarded nearly $4.7 million to fund three studies designed to explore dietary interventions for Crohn’s disease.

Endoscopists Often Ignore Polypectomy Guidelines (Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News)
The analysis found that roughly half of small polyps were removed using hot snare polypectomy, not cold snare as recommended by the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer (USMSTF).

Podcast: Curiosity and Persistence: The Discovery of H. pylori with Dr. Barry Marshall (Healio)
In this podcast catch Barry Marshall, AC, FRACP, FRS, FAA, the legendary Nobel Laureate who discovered that peptic ulcer disease was caused by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori, not excess acid.

Podcast: What will the world look like after COVID-19? (GatesNotes)
Bill Gates: “Dr. Fauci and I are both optimistic that a vaccine will bring an end to the pandemic at some point in the near future. But what the world looks like after that is a lot less clear.”

Headlines for GI

It’s Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week 2020 (AGA)

AASLD 2020: A Clinical News Roundup (Medscape)

Endoscopy Insights With Dr. Prateek Sharma: COVID-19 (Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News)

Frailty linked with mortality after liver transplantation (Healio)

A new measure in the fight against choking deaths with LifeVac (Health Europa)

Year in Review: Ulcerative Colitis (MedPage Today)

The future of gastroenterology and other excerpts on industry-changing trends (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)

Videos: Interviews with GI Leaders  (NextServices)

Video: Atopy allergy patch tests link with improvements in EoE (Healio)

ICYMI: Cannabis in Gastroenterology: Watch Your Head! (Springer Link)

What I see in my practice (AGA)

Study Defines Geographic Hot Spots of Early-Onset CRC Morality Among Women (Cancer Network)

5 Things We Learnt About Investments in Digital Health (TMF)

Video: Dr. Neil Stollman on C. difficile and Fecal Microbiota Transplant: The Beginnings of Microbiome Therapy (ACG)

From cold robot to lifeline: How perception of the virtual physician has shifted during the pandemic (Becker’s Health IT)