Technology and the GI Industry

A conversation with PE GI Solutions Market Presidents

Recently PE GI Solutions President and CEO David Young sat down with Market Presidents Annie Sariego, Tracy Belsan and Cara Reymann. They discussed the current state of technology in the industry and new advancements being adapted by physicians. Read their insight on the current technology landscape below.

David Young (DY): How has social media grown within the industry? Are physicians more willing to utilize it as a business tool?

Annie Sariego (AS): Personally, I think it’s evolving. Physicians need our support and assistance, and we can help them get where they want to go regarding social media, among other things. In discussions I’ve had they are especially interested in using it for patient reviews. If you have a young millennial looking for a physician, they are going to do their research, and the physicians want to ensure they can manage their digital reputations on social media platforms.

Tracy Belsan (TB): I believe social media has been very successful for physicians and it will be really important in the future. Physicians are interested in reputation management, search engine optimization (SEO) and what they can do for their business. I agree with Annie that patient reviews have become a big factor. Not even five years ago some physicians would have never thought about the impact of their online reputation, but now they are understanding that because people are home, that is the primary way to communicate and provide feedback. I think we’re certainly going to continue to see an uptick.

Cara Reymann (CR): In Virginia and Maryland there is a very large practice that includes 22 offices and 134 physicians and advanced practitioners, and we have a very heavy social media presence with them since it is a unique aspect of that market. We’ve been assisting them with support for their practice marketing program and have seen that social media has been a great way to engage with the patients. We’re seeing more than 650 engagements per month on Facebook alone, so it has been very successful.

DY: What do you see as the future of telehealth post-pandemic? Will it continue to play a role in healthcare?

AS: I believe the future of telehealth lies in reimbursement. It’s going to depend on how payors want to approach that in the current situation. It’s also going to be a competitive edge. If you’re in an urban and densely populated market like New York, you’ll find specific niches where it will stay due to convenience. Overall, it’s going to be practice dependent.

TB: From what I’ve seen, telehealth has really trended downward. I don’t know of many locations that are still using it. Telehealth has been around for a while, and COVID-19 really forced us into that modality. I see it being used very often in primary care, but not as much by GI physicians. I don’t believe we should discount it entirely, in case we were to have another severe wave of COVID appear in the future.

CR: I think we will continue to see the percentage of telehealth visits go up. Like Annie said, I think that some areas will keep it around simply for the convenience for physicians and patients.

DY: What kind of new technology or techniques are you seeing come into practices and centers?

AS: I’ve seen more practices and centers focusing on patient experiences. In a similar relationship to online reviews, new physicians and staff are being shown patient survey sheets and trained on how to specifically meet those expectations. It’s improving the quality of care and how patients view their visit.

TB: We’re seeing an increased emphasis on cybersecurity technology. Cybersecurity is a highly regulated area of healthcare, as it should be. It’s important to work with centers and practices annually to ensure the security of their systems meets required guidelines. Our physicians care about the safety of patient information.

CR: Some locations are trialing new AI technology for specific procedures. I believe that it can really improve the quality of care for patients. There is also new technology that can assist in the administration of infusion patients. We should all be excited about the potential of both items and how they can impact patient care.

Meet the PE Market Presidents

Ann “Annie” Sariego

Market President at PE GI Solutions, overseeing business and clinical operations for PE GI Solutions’ New York and New Jersey Centers. Annie joined PE in 2011 and has over 30 years of healthcare industry experience. This experience focused in the hospital and outpatient surgery center setting. She has a strong background in business and clinical operations in the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) arena. This includes ASC/hospital joint ventures, with extensive knowledge of state, federal and accrediting agency regulatory and compliance standards.

Tracy Belsan

Tracy Belsan has over 30 years of healthcare experience in hospital operations, ambulatory operations and graduate medical education. Prior to her role with PE GI Solutions, Tracy served as Chief Operating Officer and Designated Institutional Officer for Dignity Health in the California market. Prior to Dignity Health, Tracy served as Senior Vice President of Operations for Privia Health in Arlington, Virginia. In her role at Privia Health, she also served as the advocacy executive and collaborated with the AMA and AMGA on healthcare policy issues. She is also on the Board of Directors for the AMGA Voice. This focuses on advocacy and advancing healthcare issues in Congress.

Cara Reymann

Market President for the Mid-Atlantic region, Cara Reymann brings more than 20 years of progressive leadership expertise to the team at PE GI Solutions. In her role, she ensures that PE GI Solutions’ partnering physicians have support in their practices and endoscopy centers. This also includes support across their ancillary service lines including laboratory and infusion therapy. Prior to joining PE GI Solutions, Cara was a member of the executive team at Capital Digestive Care. She originated the departments of marketing and practice operations after the company’s founding in 2009. Cara has focused her career on healthcare, helping physicians and their practices navigate change, improve processes and adopt new technologies.