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81 GASTROENTEROLOGY Gastroenterologists are the most 'in-demand' specialty, report finds By Patsy Newitt G astroenterologists are the most in-demand physician specialty, according to Merritt Hawkins and AMN Healthcare's 2022 "Review of Physician and Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives." e report is based on 2,695 physician and advanced practitioner search engagements conducted from April 1, 2021, to March 31. Specialties are ranked here by number of job openings as a percent of all active providers: 1. Gastroenterology 2. Radiology 3. Rheumatology 4. Hematology/oncology 5. Urology 6. Cardiology 7. Pulmonology/critical care 8. Psychiatry 9. OB-GYN 10. Neurology 11. Dermatology 12. Anesthesiology 13. Orthopedic surgery 14. Family medicine 15. Nurse practitioner n AI system diagnoses IBD more effectively than human experts: Study By Claire Wallace A pilot study published in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology suggests that an artificial intelligence system has a higher accuracy of diagnosing inflammatory bowel disease than health professionals. The study used 862 endoscopic images taken between 2003 and 2021 to train visual imagery AI tool Efficient-Net-B3 to classify lesions that signal IBD. After training, the AI tool was able to make diagnoses with 64.5 percent sensitivity, 89.5 percent specificity and 80.6 percent accuracy. Its correct diagnosis rate was 79 percent, while the average endoscopist's rate was 77.8 percent. n American College of Gastroenterology releases updated gastroparesis guidelines By Riz Hatton T he American College of Gastroenterology released updated guidelines for gastroparesis in the August edition of The American Journal of Gastroenterology. The updated guidelines summarize views on the risk factors, diagnosis and management of gastroparesis in adults. This includes dietary, pharmacological, device and interventions directed at the pylorus. The American College of Gastroenterology considers the guidelines to be preferred but recognizes they are not the only approach to treating gastroparesis. n Program aims to boost Virginia colorectal cancer screening rates By Riz Hatton T he Community Health Center of the New River Valley in Christiansburg, Va., is expanding its partnership with the UVA Cancer Center in Charlottesville, Va., with the goal of increasing colorectal cancer screening rates to 80 percent of eligible patients. The centers will hire a cancer screening navigator for the Community Health Center of the New River Valley's three locations to increase patient access to colorectal cancer screenings, according to an Aug. 9 news release. The initiative is backed by a three-year, $600,000 grant from the Jeffress Trust Grant Program. The Community Health Center of the New River Valley is a nonprofit hospital that serves patients regardless of their ability to pay. With assistance from an integrated Translational Health Research Institute of Virginia grant, the centers ran a pilot program from 2019 to 2021 that helped increase the percentage of eligible patients screened from 30.5 percent to 47.3 percent. This was accomplished using automated reminders through patients' electronic medical records and phone call reminders. The expanded partnership aims to get 80 percent of eligible patients screened by developing patient-friendly educational materials and providing additional training for the community health center's staff, the release said. n