Becker's ASC Review

34 GASTROENTEROLOGY When will the backlog of colon cancer screenings subside? 4 gastroenterologists discuss By Patsy Newitt S teep declines in colorectal cancer screening aer the onset of the CO- VID-19 pandemic have gastroenterol- ogists concerned about missed opportunities for early detection of colorectal cancer. Four leaders in gastroenterology spoke with Becker ASC Review on when they think the industry will recover from backlogs. George Dickstein, MD. Gastroenterologist at Greater Boston Gastroenterology: By most estimates it will be years, and the hu- man and financial cost in missed opportuni- ties to find colon cancer early or prevent it by adenoma removal is difficult to fathom. Groups traditionally challenged by health- care disparities will be even more disadvan- taged in this regard. is challenge is further compounded by the lack of anesthesiologists, CRNAs and endoscopists we are facing in many markets. Nationally, moratoria on elective proce- dures led to a steep dropoff in screenings for cancers, including colorectal cancer. In late summer of 2020, it was estimated that CRC screenings dropped by 86 percent As a result of this challenge, some gastroenter- ologists advocate for more shared decision making with patients about noncolonoscopic modalities for screening, despite the superior performance of colonoscopy, as the backlog will take three to four years without this type of strategy. Vonda Reeves, MD. Gastroenterologist at GI Associates & Endoscopy Center (Flowood, Miss.): e second surge of the delta variant of COVID-19 has created yet another delay in delivery of gastroenterology services. As a result, we have had to again shi schedules that are not yet back at pre- COVID-19 levels. It is fair to anticipate a 12-18 month recovery time with caveats of only minor surges of new variants, which are to be expected. Staffing changes, whether from ill employ- ees, quarantine status or departure from the medical field, will influence recovery time. Unfortunately, all of the above will delay care and diagnosis of malignancy and other treat- able gastrointestinal disorders. Lawrence Schiller, MD. Program Director of the gastroenterology fellowship at Bay- lor University Medical Center (Dallas): e current surge in COVID-19 cases seems to be subsiding, but it is unclear whether it will be the last. Too many susceptibles remain — up to 30 million children and 70 million unvaccinated adults in the US — and hospi- talizations and deaths are still high. Demand for services will be suppressed, at least for the next few months, but will then explode as the backlog of cases is dealt with. It likely will take 12-18 months before business gets back to the pre-pandemic steady state. Brian Dooreck, MD. Gastrointestinal Diagnostic Centers and the Memorial Healthcare System (Miami): We will re- cover. I think there was around a 25 percent reduction in colonoscopies performed dur- ing 2020. I read 10 million cancer screenings overall were missed during the pandemic. e real question is: How many will have died from not being screened for colorectal cancer? n United Digestive adds Florida practice with 2 ASCs By Patsy Newitt A tlanta-based United Digestive expanded its Florida presence through a new affiliation with Associates in Digestive Health, the company said Oct. 12. Cape Coral, Fla.-based Associates in Digestive Health has a portfolio of seven physicians and two clinics with ASCs. United Digestive is a physician practice management company for independent gastroenterology practices. "This team of gastroenterologists has a strong patient-first reputation in the community, which aligns with our core values," said Neal Patel, MD, United Digestive's chief strat- egy officer. "By joining forces with them, we aim to affiliate with other like-minded practices in the region." n Physician awarded $1.9M grant to study short bowel syndrome By Patsy Newitt A researcher from Saint Louis University School of Medicine received a roughly $1.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study short bowel syndrome, the university said Oct. 8. The researcher, Ajay Jain, MD, is a professor of pediatrics, pharmacology and physiology and the associate division chief of pediatric gastroenterology at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital. Dr. Jain has found in novel studies that altered gut-derived signals play a big role in driving injury mechanisms in short bowel syndrome. This NIH grant will evaluate the impact of these signals to test their ability to minimize multisystem injury in short bowel syndrome. n

• Cover