Edward V. Loftus Jr., MD

The first time I heard about “stool transplant” was in the late 1990s when I was attending a regional winter meeting of gastroenterologists in Brainerd, Minnesota (ironically, the site of an unexplained but well-documented outbreak of chronic diarrhea in the 80s).

In March 2020, there was so much we did not know about COVID-19 and how it would impact the world of gastroenterology. Were our patients at risk? How long would endoscopy be disrupted? When will things be normal again?

The lead article on the use of probiotics in gastroenterology highlights a conundrum that we have all been dealing with in the trenches for at least decade.

The COVID-19 crisis has totally changed the way we think about telehealth. The perceived barriers to virtual care before the pandemic have largely disappeared. Everywhere around the country doctors and advanced practice providers are ramping up phone or video visits, and it seems that most patients are grateful to be able to connect with their provider in a safe manner.

Navigating physician burnout starts with recognizing that we are not immune to the mental health issues that plague our profession on a national level.

As we enter the 6th year of Healio Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, it is worth looking back at what made us stand out in 2019: the Peer Tested content from online and print as it fared throughout the year.

During this year’s American College of Gastroenterology Annual Meeting in San Antonio, I had the honor of hosting the second annual Healio Disruptive Innovators Awards.

Artificial intelligence has made it possible for us to achieve the extreme advancements we have recently seen in health care.

The narrative surrounding the development of stem cell therapy for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease was best said by Amy Lightner, MD, when she noted that we as gastroenterologists and colorectal surgeons are still in the early phases of navigating this therapy.

Currently, gastroenterologists and other physicians have quite a few options to treat overweight and obesity, but at times that is overwhelming.