Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1499344
39 GASTROENTEROLOGY What's causing gastroenterology's workforce shortage? By Riz Hatton T he increased demand for gastroenterology services combined with the limited number of gastroenterologists has caused trouble for the industry's workforce. James Weber, MD, founder and CEO of GI Alliance, spoke with Becker's to discuss the biggest obstacle the gastroenterology industry is facing today — physician workforce shortages. Note: is response has been lightly edited for length and clarity. Dr. James Weber: e number one obstacle we're facing in GI is physician workforce. ere is a growing demand. ere's this increasing demand for our services, and there's a limited number of gastroenterologists. Unfortunately, there's not enough new fellows being trained coming out into practice to fill the need for it. I think there's something like, three job openings for every fellow that's coming out of training to fill, so that supply and demand is a problem. en on the other side of it, we're seeing many physicians retiring a little earlier, maybe getting a little burnout, so maybe they're not in the workforce as long. at's the challenge I have. We're trying to make sure that we are trying to be accessible to fellows, let them know what good opportunities there are. We're trying to make the jobs better and happier and more fulfilling for physicians, so they stay in the workforce longer. We're trying to find ways to expand our services by bringing in advanced providers, nurse practitioners and physician assistants who can be incredibly bright and great caregivers under the guidance of a physician. ose are some ways we're trying to meet that demand. But that's our biggest challenge, our biggest obstacle, to fill that demand. n Payers may unintentionally be driving independent gastroenterologists to hospitals By Riz Hatton T hough payers have been trying to push more procedures out of hospitals, low reimbursements have the potential to cause these efforts to backfire by pushing independent physicians, including gastroenterologists, to migrate to hospital settings. Robert Pecha, MD, president of Gastroenterology Medical Clinic in Folsom, Calif., recently connected with Becker's to discuss his difficulties communicating with payers as a small, independent gastroenterology practice. Note: This response has been lightly edited for length and clarity. Dr. Robert Pecha: I am president of a seven- gastroenterologist group. We are one of the last two remaining private GI groups left in the Sacramento, Calif., area. We run an endoscopy center, caring for 7,500 patients per year. Our biggest challenge for both the endoscopy center as well as our practice (separate companies) is our inability to communicate with insurance companies to negotiate rates. We are too small for them (e.g., Blue Cross) to talk to us. What they don't seem to realize is that small raises to independent practitioners prevents those physicians from defecting to large hospital-based practices that charge all insurers much more. n United Digestive taps Kohlberg & Company as new private equity partner By Riz Hatton United Digestive has partnered with private equity firm Kohlberg & Company. "The partnership with United Digestive represents a significant milestone in our extensive search for an established GI platform with a demonstrated history of growth along with a commitment to integration," Evan Wildstein, partner at Kohlberg & Company, said in a March 30 news release shared with Becker's. In 2018, United Digestive was created through a partnership between Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates and private equity firm Frazier Healthcare Partners. United Digestive supports more than 200 providers across 80 locations. n