Becker's ASC Review

33 GASTROENTEROLOGY Intermountain Health expands endoscopy centers to lower costs, increase access By Sophie Eydis S alt Lake City-based Intermountain Health opened its first freestanding endoscopy center in Utah at Alta View Hospital in Sandy, with two additional centers planned near Riverton Hospital and Ogden-based McKay-Dee Hospital, also in Utah. e system also operates three freestanding endoscopy centers in Denver in partnership with Louisville, Colo.-based Gastroenterology of the Rockies. e centers are designed as a lower-cost alternative to hospital-based procedures. ey will provide colonoscopies and other endoscopy services to diagnose and treat conditions such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and colon cancer. Nathan Merriman, MD, senior medical director of Intermountain Health's Surgical Specialties and Digestive Health Clinical Program, said the move is rooted in both financial and patient experience considerations. "Patients have told me, 'I know you're trying to make it more affordable, but from my perspective it's still not affordable,'" he said. "In an ASC, the overall cost is significantly lower, and many patients have also shared that they prefer not to go into a hospital unless absolutely necessary. Having care available in an outpatient endoscopy center meets patients where they are." Intermountain has partnered with Brentwood, Tenn.-based Surgery Partners to manage the centers, aligning with SelectHealth, the nonprofit insurance arm of Intermountain, on payment models to make the transition easier. Dr. Merriman said this integration helps ensure affordability while maintaining quality and safety. He emphasized that the new centers also help increase diagnostic and screening capacity at a time when colon cancer is being diagnosed at younger ages. "Over the last several years, I've seen more young patients in their 20s and 30s with advanced adenomas and precancerous polyps," Dr. Merriman said. "Part of the vision of these centers is to create more capacity and block time so we can do more procedures earlier and reduce delays in care." He added that patient-centered design is essential, with a focus on de- stigmatizing screening and making the process — from preparation to follow-up — less intimidating for patients and their families. As colon cancer diagnoses rise among younger adults, Intermountain is adapting its care models to focus on empowering patients to speak up. "Our goals are to help make it safer for patients to raise concerns and ask questions," Dr. Merriman said. "I even share with my family and friends the kinds of questions they should ask when they go in with symptoms. We want to support patients in becoming co-designers of their care." He said single-specialty ASC models offer efficiency, quality and teamwork advantages. "ere's something to be said for a single-specialty ASC where you become truly excellent as a team," he said. "In endoscopy, that means aligning workflows, safety, quality and cost for the patient." Looking ahead, Dr. Merriman sees three major opportunities to transform digestive health: team-based care, research into the gut microbiome and reframing what it means to be a patient. "I think we need to reframe what it means to be a patient," he said. "If we recognize that all of us are patients, it becomes easier to treat our patients as valued teammates and co-designers. Creating patients as teammates in care and health is, in my opinion, essential for the future." n Image Credit: The Salt Lake Tribune

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