Becker's ASC Review

44 GASTROENTEROLOGY Dr. Marc Bernstein: The biggest issue in gastroenterology today By Eric Oliver M arc Bernstein, MD, a gastroenterologist at Sarasota-based Florida Digestive Health Specialists, spoke to Becker's ASC Review about the biggest issue in gastroenterology and what the specialty could look like in the future. Note: Responses were edited for style and content. Question: What's the biggest issue in gastroenterology, and what would you do to solve it? Dr. Marc Bernstein: ere are multiple issues that exist in the world of medicine. On a macro level, there is a physician shortage. is will need to be addressed from the top by securing funding and increas- ing more fellowship opportunities at academic institutions. Addition- ally, there is room for emphasis [to be] placed on educating fellows about the various career paths of a new GI physician. Fellows are provided very little specific information about how their career will be affected by choosing between academics, an employed position and private practice, and are generally le to pursue this informa- tion on their own. Burnout and turnover are common if expectations about a chosen path are not met, which ultimately breaks continuity of care for the patient. [In gastroenterology], a strong patient-doctor relationship can help ease any unnecessary stress, leading to increased trust and boost patient satisfaction levels. While structural changes, reimbursement issues and technology will always be moving targets in medicine, we also must focus on developing informed physicians who have chosen their path wisely and carefully. Q: What does the future of the specialty look like three to five years from now? MB: I see changes that will be pervasive throughout all of medicine. With the implementation of bundled payments in the GI field, the future may weigh heavily on personalized medicine and incorporat- ing the risks/benefits of screening and surveillance testing. I believe this will be a beneficial change for gastroenterology practices who have achieved efficiency and incorporated prevention and continued ancillary services into their practice. Q: What are your thoughts on noninvasive CRC tests? MB: ere is certainly a role for non-invasive testing. However, there is still a wide gap of misunderstanding. For example, primary care physicians use these tests regularly, but when patients have a positive result and are sent for a colonoscopy, they oen have not been fully informed that the procedure is considered diagnostic (it would have been classified as a screening test if they had opted not to use the non-invasive option), and they are billed at a higher rate depending on their insurance. Patients are frustrated and feel they were not fully informed of the process of noninvasive CRC testing. As with most areas of medicine, patient communication at every step is crucial.. n Work on joint venture Arizona orthopedic surgery center progressing By Eric Oliver D evelopers have completed half of Flagstaff (Ariz.) Bone & Joint's 9,000-square-foot ASC, the Arizona Daily Sun reports. The Flagstaff Bone & Joint team and select trade partners signed a beam that will be placed in one of the ASC's two operating rooms. The center is expected to open in Spring 2020 but will not accept new patients until February or March 2021. Flagstaff Bone & Joint is developing the center through a joint venture with Towson, Md.-based SurgCenter Develop- ment. n GI Alliance forms 2 partnerships in 5 days — Adds Texas GI partner By Eric Oliver D allas-based GI Alliance partnered with San Antonio Gastroenterology Associates and San Antonio Digestive Disease Consultants, adding 17 physicians to its affiliated network days after partner- ing with Phoenix-based Arizona Digestive Health. What you should know: 1. GIA will provide administrative resources for the practice, while allowing its physicians to practice unin- terrupted. 2. SAGA notably built San Antonio's first freestanding endoscopy center in 1980. 3. GIA President Jim Weber, MD, praised SAGA and SADDC. He said, "Even with our growth on the national stage, we maintain our commitment to expand in Texas, furthering the delivery of high-quality patient care by supporting talented gastroenterologists with our expe- rience and infrastructure." 4. GI Alliance was established in November 2018 when Waud Capital Partners invested in Southlake-based Tex- as Digestive Disease Consultants, Dr. Weber's practice. The organization struck its first major deal in July 2019, partnering with Evanston-based Illinois Gastroenterol- ogy Group. GIA is the largest independent gastroenter- ology services organization in the U.S. n

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