Episodes

Dr. Lisa Mathew talks with Dr. Supriya Rao of Integrated Gastroenterology Consultants of Chelmsford, Mass. about several programs she helped start within the independent practice outside of Boston. Dr. Rao takes a multifaceted approach to helping her patient improve their overall health by focusing on weight management, stress, sleep and nutrition. Dr. Rao is also a tireless advocate for health equity and increased representation of women in medicine. As @GutsyGirlMD on Instagram and Twitter, sh...

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health issued a moratorium on elective procedures, including colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Dr. Fred Rosenberg talks with Dr. George Dickstein of Greater Boston Gastroenterology about how his practice pivoted to telehealth and remote working and put in place safety measures to protect patients, physicians and staff. It is estimated that CRC screenings dropped by 86 percent during the pandemic. As things return to normal, ...

This week, Dr. Lisa Mathew connects with Dr. Peter Liang of NYU Langone Health, a long-time friend and colleague to hear about his work with early career physicians and fellows as chair of the American Gastroenterology Association's (AGA) Trainee and Early Career Committee. Dr. Liang shares his path to academic gastroenterology and how the AGA is providing resources to young physicians through the Trainee and Early Career Committee and how younger GIs can also become involved through its Young D...

Dr. Michael Weinstein of Capital Digestive Care checks in with Dr. Glenn Littenberg of inSite Digestive Health Care, the largest GI practice in California, with offices from San Francisco to Irvine. Dr. Littenberg discusses updates in billing and coding and what the future may hold for independent GI practices in California. Join Dr. Weinstein and Dr. Littenberg as they discuss what it takes to build a thriving GI practice and what billing and coding trends private practices should pay attention...

This week, Kevin Harlen talks with Michael Osso, president and CEO of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation about its mission to cure inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to improve the quality of life for children and adults affected by these diseases. A recent study which found that Black patients presenting with textbook symptoms of IBD like iron deficiency and chronic diarrhea are significantly less likely to get an appropriate work-up for IBD. Join Kevin and Michael as they discuss the downstrea...

This week, Dr. Fred Rosenberg talks with Lili Brillstein, CEO of BCollaborative, a consultancy that helps payers, providers, pharmaceutical companies, start-ups and other stakeholders progress the movement from fee for service to patient-focused, value-based care models. As the director for episodes of care with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Lili provided strategic direction and leadership for Horizon’s internationally recognized Episodes of Care program. Join Dr. Rosenberg and L...

Dr. Lisa Mathew talks with Dr. Austin Chiang about his path in gastroenterology and how he has used social media to connect with patients and confront misinformation about medicine. Dr. Chiang is director of the Endoscopic Bariatric Program and chief social media officer at Jefferson Health in Philadelphia. He is also the founding president of the Association for Healthcare Social Media and published a study that showed a correlation between social media presence and divisional rankings in the U...

This is one of those episodes you've been waiting for. Dr. Michael Weinstein interviews Dr. Larry Kosinski of SonarMD about his path in gastroenterology, and what sparked his interest in becoming an entrepreneur. From developing ambulatory surgery centers and infusion centers, to creating a system that improves the ability to monitor patients with IBD, Dr. Kosinski has done quite a bit in his career as a gastroenterologist. And judging from his interest in the potential to use sensors that measu...

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Phoenix, Ariz. has experienced several surges in cases, becoming a hot spot for COVID-19 more than once. This week, Dr. Naresh Gunaratnam talks with Dr. Paul Berggreen of Arizona Digestive Health about how his practice implemented telehealth in the early days of the pandemic. Join Dr. Gunaratnam and Dr. Berggreen as they discuss their experiences with telehealth, the role it plays in treating their patients, and how telehealth services will evolve in the futu...

Kevin Harlen sits down for a conversation with Chris Metz and Steve Somers of Gastrologix, the presenting sponsors of Gastro Broadcast. Gastrologix was created to help independent GI practices to lower costs, operate more efficiently and expand services, so that GI physicians can remain independent and continue to provide a valuable alternative to the more expensive care provided in hospitals. Gastrologix also works as a business development organization, working with its members to create progr...

During Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Awareness Month in March, we’re hosting a series of conversations with physicians about the importance of being screened. This week, Dr. Naresh Gunaratnam talks with Dr. Pradeep Bekal of the Ohio Gastroenterology & Liver Institute and Dr. William Stern of Capital Digestive Care in the Washington DC metro area, about an innovative colonoscopy preparation that both practices offer to their patients. There are five HyGIeaCare centers in the U.S. that are using the Hyg...

For Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Awareness Month in March, we're hosting a series of conversations with physicians about the importance of being screened. Our guest this week is Dr. Marc Sonenshine of Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates, a division of United Gastroenterology. Dr. Fred Rosenberg and Dr. Sonenshine discuss an innovative program called Direct Access, which allows people to self-schedule a screening after filling out a survey that assesses their candidacy for screening colonoscopy. Direc...

Throughout March, Gastro Broadcast is featuring a series of conversations to promote Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Awareness Month. This week, Kevin Harlen talks with Dr. Linda Rae Murray of the University of Illinois Chicago about community outreach and ways to reduce disparities in CRC screening. Kevin and Dr. Murray discuss Project Brotherhood, an innovation program in Chicago to increase health awareness around screening and testing in Black men by providing preventive health messages in "a safe, ...

In March, Gastro Broadcast will feature a series of conversations for Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Awareness Month. Our first guest in the series is Dr. Rachel Issaka of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Lisa Mathews explores how Dr. Issaka became interested in a career in academia and her research on disparities in CRC screening. Join Dr. Mathew and Dr. Issaka as they discuss some of the factors that influence disparities in CRC screening and the role that privat...

Like our host Dr. Naresh Gunaratnam, Dr. John Carethers from the University of Michigan knew he wanted to be a physician from a young age. But Dr. Carethers journey took him into a career in academia, because he felt that it would be the best way to positively affect the most lives - through research and in training students to become GI physicians. Join Dr. Gunaratnam to hear about Dr. Carethers work on the American Association for Cancer Research Cancer Disparities Progress Report, how diversi...

Dr. Michael Weinstein interviews Dr. Bishr Omary about his path to becoming a gastroenterologist and some of the initiatives he's been working on as the president of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA). One of those initiatives is the AGA Equity Project. In July 2020, an advisory board was formed to develop a multi-year strategic plan to increase diversity equity and inclusion and work toward the elimination of health disparities in digestive diseases. Join Dr. Weinstein and Dr. O...

Dr. Fred Rosenberg interviews Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association (APHA) about how his experience in emergency medicine shaped his advocacy for public health. Dr. Benjamin discusses APHA's work to improve public health and achieve health equity , how supporting STEM education among young people can help build a strong pipeline to increase diversity within medicine, and the benefits it will have on health care. Join Dr. Rosenberg and Dr. Benjamin to ...

In honor of National Women Physicians Day, Dr. Lisa Mathew interviews Dr. Jessica Fisher of Digestive Health Partners in Asheville, NC about her path to independent gastroenterology and the mentors who paved her way and provided support throughout her career. Dr. Mathew and Dr. Fisher met in the GI Fellowship Program at the University of Washington, where they had the opportunity to study under Dr. Christina M. Surawicz, the Gastroenterology Section Chief at Harborview Medical Center and the fir...

Dr. Naresh Gunaratnam of Huron Gastroenterology recognized that many of the GI diseases he treats in his community are specifically related to obesity, and that as a GI physician he had the opportunity to see and combat these disease before they became too serious. In an effort to combat obesity and help his patients manage their weight, Dr. Gunaratnam developed the HG Wellness program, an evidence-based weight management program in his practice based on four pillars: nutrition, fitness, sleep a...

Dr. Lisa Mathews interviews Dr. Ashley Evans of Digestive Health Clinic in Boise Idaho about its innovative model to develop practice leadership. When associates at Digestive Health Clinic are offered the opportunity to become partners after two years of employment, they are also selected to serve in the role of president of the practice. Join Dr. Evans to hear how this experience prepared her for a career in independent gastroenterology and how important it is to provide early-career physicians...

Dr. Naresh Gunaratnam knew he wanted to be a gastroeterologist ever since he went on rounds with his uncle when we was 17. In private practice at Huron Gastroenterology in Michigan he's been able to treat patients and and set aside time to conduct critical research on gastroenterological diseases and conditions. His next act is developing programs to help patients manage their weight and promoting the role of GI physicians in treating obesity. Join Dr. Gunaratnam to hear about his favorite podca...

A college work-study job with sports physicians sparked Kevin Harlen’s interest in medicine and health care and the UNC School of Public Health MPH program in administration and policy put set him on his path. His accomplishments include helping to form Capital Digestive Care, the largest gastroenterology group in the Mid-Atlantic states, and a collaboration between Physicians Endoscopy and Capital Digestive Care to create a physician-oriented management service organization exclusively for gast...

Dr. Michael Weinstein is president and CEO of Capital Digestive Care and chief medical officer of PE Practice Solutions. His additional roles within gastroenterology are too long to list. Dr. Weinstein was introduced to medicine through chemical engineering and became a physician because engineers at the time worked in relatively isolated settings. His desire for warmer weather led him from Chicago to Washington DC. And mentoring from Dr. Hyman Zimmerman and Dr. Jim Lewis led Dr. Weinstein to ga...

Dr. Lisa Mathew brings the perspective of an early career gastroenterologist to the exploration of independent GI groups and how they are finding unique approaches to practice management and providing care within the ever-changing world of medicine. Dr. Mathew discusses the unique opportunities she's been able to take advantage of going into private practice with South Denver Gastroenterology in Colorado, and how the independent medical setting supports her interest in public health. Join Dr. Ma...