Gastrointestinal Associates

What Gastrointestinal Associates does

Gastrointestinal Associates, P.C. (GIA) is a privately held physician-owned gastroenterology practice founded in 1971 and headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. The practice delivers screening, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of digestive system disorders — colon cancer screening, IBD, liver disease, pancreatic conditions, GERD, and Barrett's esophagus — through three clinical offices in Knox County (Dowell Springs, Powell, West Knoxville) and three licensed, AAAHC-accredited ambulatory endoscopy centers (The Endoscopy Center, The Endoscopy Center North, The Endoscopy Center West). Service scope spans colonoscopy, EGD, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), ERCP with sphincterotomy, video capsule endoscopy (Pillcam), Fibroscan liver elastography, radiofrequency ablation and mucosal resection for Barrett's esophagus, on-site infusion of biologic medications for Crohn's and ulcerative colitis, anorectal manometry, hemorrhoid banding, and breath testing. The practice is staffed by 16 board-certified physicians and pathologists with subspecialty training across hepatology, interventional endoscopy, Barrett's esophagus, and GI pathology, supported by 11 advanced practice providers.

GIA operates on a fee-for-service clinical revenue model, accepting Medicare, HMO, and PPO insurance with patients paying co-pays at the time of service and supported by an in-house billing function. Patient acquisition is predominantly regional — direct scheduling via online request forms, phone, and primary care referral within East Tennessee — with new patient appointments typically available within one week and urgent cases seen immediately. Commercially, GIA supplements core clinical services with the GIA 180 medically supervised weight loss program (launched November 2015) using the Ideal Protein protocol with coaching, an active gastroenterology clinical trials program covering IBD, GERD, pancreatitis, and colorectal cancer, a patient portal (My GIA), and telehealth visits introduced in April 2020. It is a Medicare-participating provider and complies with Section 1557 of the ACA.

The practice has executed over 250,000 screening colonoscopies cumulatively and performs roughly 15,000 colonoscopies annually, with adenoma detection rates that consistently exceed the 25% national benchmark. It has earned AmSurg Pinnacle Awards in 2022 and 2023 and holds a Center of Excellence designation for Barrett's Esophagus treatment at Thompson Cancer Survival Center, where GIA's Dr. John Haydek serves as Medical Director. Ownership remains physician-held with no identified venture capital, private equity, or institutional investment, and recent capacity investment has come through physician hiring — including Dr. Samavedy (2021), Drs. Meyers and Jones (December 2020), and Dr. Osborn (2023, GI pathology) — rather than through new geographies or M&A.

Name

Gastrointestinal Associates

Legal name

Gastrointestinal Associates, P.C.

Website

https://gihealthcare.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gastrointestinal Associates, P.C. is a privately held gastroenterology practice founded in 1971 in Knoxville, Tennessee, operating three clinical offices and three accredited endoscopy centers in Knox County. It provides screening, diagnostic, and advanced therapeutic digestive-system care—including colonoscopy, EUS, ERCP, and Barrett's treatment—to East Tennessee patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gastroenterology Healthcare Services

NAICS

Offices of Physicians (62111), Freestanding Ambulatory Surgical and Emergency Centers (621493)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

General Gastroenterology (HLAKAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Advanced Endoscopy (ERCP/EUS/Interventional) (HLAKAEAC), Gastrointestinal Oncology (HLAKAFAK), Endoscopy & GI Procedure Centers (HLAFAIAE), Digestive Oncology (GI Cancer Care) (HLAKAEAF)

Keywords

• Gastroenterology services
• Colonoscopy screening
• Endoscopic procedures
• Digestive health care
• Weight loss programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Clinical Healthcare Services: Fee-for-service healthcare delivery including office visits, diagnostic procedures, and therapeutic treatments billed to insurance carriers or patients directly
2. Procedures and Endoscopy Services: Screening and diagnostic procedures including colonoscopies, EGDs, and advanced therapeutic procedures performed at licensed endoscopy centers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Gastrointestinal Associates provides full-spectrum gastroenterology care including screening, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of digestive system disorders through colonoscopies, EGDs, EUS, ERCP, capsule endoscopy, liver elastography (Fibroscan), radiofrequency ablation for Barrett's esophagus, and biologic infusion therapy. The practice delivers these services at three Knoxville-area offices and three accredited ambulatory endoscopy centers, additionally offering the GIA 180 medically supervised weight loss program and access to gastroenterology clinical trials.

Product overview

Gastrointestinal Associates is a gastroenterology practice serving East Tennessee since 1971, operating three licensed endoscopic ambulatory surgery centers (The Endoscopy Center, The Endoscopy Center North, and The Endoscopy Center West) alongside clinical offices. The practice offers comprehensive digestive healthcare services including colonoscopy, EGD, EUS, ERCP, and capsule endoscopy. The GIA 180 Weight Loss Program provides nutrition and weight loss solutions with trained coaching. A patient portal (My GIA) enables online access to medical records and scheduling. The practice also participates in clinical trials for gastroenterology conditions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GIA 180: A comprehensive weight loss program offered by Gastrointestinal Associates, providing nutrition and weight loss solutions with trained coaching to help patients reach healthy weight goals.

Products and services

• Gastroenterology Medical Services Full-spectrum gastroenterology care including screening, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of digestive system disorders, delivered by 16 board-certified physicians and 11 advanced practice providers across three Knoxville-area offices.
• The Endoscopy Center (Ambulatory Surgery Center) Licensed and AAAHC-accredited endoscopic ambulatory surgery center performing colonoscopies, polypectomies, and advanced endoscopic treatments at the Dowell Springs headquarters location.
• The Endoscopy Center North Ambulatory surgery center location in Powell, TN providing endoscopic procedures under the Endoscopy Centers branch of the practice.
• The Endoscopy Center West Ambulatory surgery center location in Knoxville, TN (West Knoxville / Parkside Drive area) providing endoscopic procedures under the Endoscopy Centers branch of the practice.
• GIA 180 Weight Loss Program Comprehensive medically supervised weight loss program offering nutrition guidance, the Ideal Protein protocol, and one-on-one coaching to help patients reach healthy weight goals.
• Telehealth Services Virtual healthcare visit service enabling patients to consult with GIA gastroenterology providers remotely without an in-office visit.
• Clinical Trials Program Active gastroenterology clinical trials program offering patients access to investigational medications and devices for conditions including IBD, GERD, pancreatitis, and colorectal cancer.
• Patient Portal (My GIA) Online patient portal (My GIA) for accessing medical records, scheduling appointments, and communicating with healthcare providers.
• Center of Excellence for Treatment of Barrett's Esophagus Specialized center of excellence offering endoscopic treatments for Barrett's esophagus and early-stage esophageal cancer, including photodynamic therapy, radiofrequency ablation, and endoscopic mucosal resection, directed by GIA physicians at Thompson Cancer Survival Center.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93.5% of patients likely to recommend GIA compared to lower ratings at 150 comparable AmSurg GI centers and national baseline
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Gifthealth PharmacycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGifthealth Pharmacy partnership provides colonoscopy prep medications to patients with cost savings. Representatives reach out via text and phone, apply discounts and coupons, and ship prep directly to patient homes. This partnership offers considerable cost savings for patients and ensures reliable prep access.
• Thompson Cancer Survival CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. John Haydek serves as Medical Director of the Center of Excellence for Treatment of Barrett's Esophagus at Thompson Cancer Survival Center. The center focuses on endoscopic treatments for Barrett's esophagus and early stage esophageal cancer using advanced techniques including photodynamic therapy, radiofrequency ablation, and endoscopic mucosal resection.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• GI Alliance: Largest independent gastroenterology practice network in the U.S., backed by private equity. Operates ASCs and provides the same comprehensive GI services as GIA across multiple geographies, making it the closest scale-and-model analog.
• Gastro Health: One of the largest PE-backed gastroenterology platforms in the U.S., operating multi-specialty GI and ancillary services across multiple states. Highly comparable to GIA in core service mix (endoscopy, infusion, clinical trials) but at far greater scale and with institutional capital behind it.
• United Digestive: PE-backed GI platform focused on the Southeast U.S. with affiliated practices and ASCs. Direct competitor for both patients and physician recruitment in the broader Southeastern geography where GIA operates.

Others

• AmSurg: National operator of ambulatory surgery centers that administers the Pinnacle Awards GIA has won and benchmarks GIA against via 150 comparable GI centers. Not a direct clinical competitor, but the de facto quality benchmark and ASC operating-partner counterpart.

Regional players

• Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates: Large independent gastroenterology specialty practice serving metro Atlanta and Georgia. Comparable multi-location GI specialty model with on-site endoscopy centers, though operating in a different geography than GIA.
• Digestive Health Associates of Texas: Independent gastroenterology group providing full-spectrum GI care across multiple DFW-area locations with associated endoscopy centers. Comparable in service line breadth and physician-owned structure to GIA.
• Carolina Digestive Health Associates: Multi-physician GI specialty practice serving the Charlotte, NC region with endoscopy services. Comparable regional independent GI model, with overlapping Southeast catchment for physician recruiting and patient referrals.

Direct peers

• Austin Gastroenterology: Independent, multi-site gastroenterology practice in Texas offering a full suite of GI services including advanced endoscopy. Highly comparable to GIA in size, physician-led model, and service line breadth; even serves as the prior employer of one of GIA's recent physician recruits.
• Gastroenterology Associates of Central Florida: Multi-physician independent gastroenterology practice serving Central Florida with on-site endoscopy. Directly comparable in physician-led specialty GI services, ASC operations, and regional scale to GIA.
• Illinois Gastroenterology Group: Independent specialty GI practice offering comprehensive gastroenterology and endoscopy services across multiple Illinois locations. Closely matches GIA's physician-owned multi-site ambulatory GI model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gihealthcare
• Facebookfacebook.com/gihealthcare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gastrointestinal-associates-p.c.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gastrointestinal Associates