Digestive Health Center

What Digestive Health Center does

Digestive Health Center is a single-site ambulatory surgery center (ASC) located in West Akron, Ohio, specializing in outpatient gastroenterology. The center operates under AMSURG, LLC (a subsidiary of Envision Healthcare owned by KKR), and is staffed by seven board-certified gastroenterologists — Scott A. Fulton, Jeffrey Gellis, Costas H. Kefalas, David Mossad, Alexander N. Pontikos, William F. Shaheen, and Ganesh R. Veerappan — supported by ACLS-certified registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, medical assistants, and Center Director Missy Nixon, BSN. The facility is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) and certified by CMS.

The center's service offering is built around three core endoscopic procedures: colonoscopy (full examination of the large intestine with polyp removal capability), flexible sigmoidoscopy (examination of the lower colon and rectum), and upper endoscopy/EGD (examination of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum). Procedures are performed using lighted flexible scopes with video cameras under Propofol anesthesia administered by experienced nurse anesthetists. Quality is tracked through the GIQuIC registry benchmarked against American College of Gastroenterology and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy goals, with published outcomes substantially exceeding national benchmarks (99% cecal intubation rate vs 90% national; 40% adenoma detection rate vs 20% national). Patient experience is measured through Press Ganey using the OAS CAHPS instrument, scoring 91% overall experience and 90% likelihood-to-recommend versus 89% and 86% national benchmarks respectively.

The business model is transaction-based outpatient procedural revenue. The center bills facility fees, professional physician fees, and ancillary services (biopsies, polypectomies) directly to major commercial insurance carriers and Medicare; patients are responsible for copays and deductibles per their plans, with CareCredit available for financing. Patient acquisition is sales-led, combining a physician-owner referral network (in which referring physicians hold ownership stakes), the Open Access direct-scheduling program, community outreach through a StopColonCancerNow partnership in Summit County, and a content-driven website. Customers are horizontally segmented into adults age 45+ due for colorectal cancer screening, patients with diagnosed digestive disease (Crohn's, IBS, GERD, ulcerative colitis, Barrett's esophagus), and high-risk individuals requiring earlier or more frequent surveillance. The published ASC pricing is 2-3x lower than equivalent hospital outpatient department costs per Healthcare Bluebook data.

Name

Digestive Health Center

Legal name

Digestive Health Center

Website

https://dhcakron.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Digestive Health Center is a single-site ambulatory surgery center in Akron, Ohio, operated under AMSURG, that performs outpatient colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and upper endoscopy for adult patients in Summit County and surrounding communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outpatient Gastroenterology / Endoscopy Services

NAICS

Ambulatory Health Care Services (621)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Endoscopy & GI Procedure Centers (HLAFAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Gastroenterology (HLAKAEAA), Colorectal Disease & Proctology (HLAKAEAJ)

Keywords

• Gastroenterology services
• Ambulatory surgery center
• Colonoscopy procedures
• Endoscopy services
• Colorectal cancer screening

Headquarters

HQ city

Akron

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Outpatient GI Procedures: Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) providing outpatient gastroenterology procedures including colonoscopies, flexible sigmoidoscopies, and upper endoscopies. Revenue generated from facility fees, professional physician fees, and ancillary services such as biopsies and polyp removals. Accepts most major insurance and bills insurance carriers directly.
2. Patient Copays and Deductibles: Patients responsible for copays and deductibles per their insurance policies. Center offers CareCredit financing option for patients needing payment plans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Digestive Health Center is an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) in Akron, Ohio that provides outpatient gastroenterology procedures — Colonoscopy, Flexible Sigmoidoscopy, and Upper Endoscopy (EGD) — performed by board-certified gastroenterologists with Propofol anesthesia. The center focuses on colorectal cancer screening and diagnosis/treatment of digestive diseases such as Crohn's disease, IBS, GERD, and ulcerative colitis, billing most major insurance carriers and offering CareCredit financing.

Product overview

Digestive Health Center is a state-of-the-art ambulatory surgery center (ASC) specializing in gastroenterology and endoscopic procedures. The center operates as a single-facility practice offering three core medical procedures: Colonoscopy for full examination of the large intestine with polyp removal capability, Flexible Sigmoidoscopy for examination of the lower colon and rectum, and Upper Endoscopy (EGD) for examination of the upper GI tract. The center is accredited by AAAHC and certified by CMS and Medicare, providing diagnostic and therapeutic gastrointestinal services primarily focused on colorectal cancer screening and digestive disease treatment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Colonoscopy A screening and diagnostic procedure allowing gastroenterologists to examine the entire length of the large intestine using a colonoscope, with the capability to remove colon polyps and suspicious tissue for evaluation. Performed on adult patients for colorectal cancer screening (recommended starting at age 45 per ACS guidelines) and diagnostic workup of digestive symptoms.
• Flexible Sigmoidoscopy An internal examination of the lower part of the large intestine using a short, thin, flexible lighted tube to view the rectum and sigmoid colon. Performed on adult patients for diagnostic evaluation of lower GI symptoms.
• Upper Endoscopy (EGD) Also known as esophagogastroduodenoscopy, this procedure examines the upper gastrointestinal tract including the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum to determine causes of gastrointestinal disorders and symptoms such as reflux, abdominal pain, and swallowing issues. Performed on adult patients for diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation of upper GI conditions.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• StopColonCancerNowcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with StopColonCancerNow to help boost colon cancer screenings and prevention for residents in Summit County. Collaborative community outreach initiative to increase awareness and participation in colorectal cancer screening.
• GI Quality Improvement Consortium (GIQuIC)coreTechnology or IntegrationPremier GI quality registry used to track quality measures. Data is benchmarked against goals set by American College of Gastroenterology and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
• Healthcare BluebooksupportingOthersIndependent healthcare pricing reference used to publish procedure cost comparisons demonstrating ASC cost advantages over hospital outpatient departments.
• Press GaneysupportingOthersIndustry-recognized leader in healthcare performance improvement providing patient experience surveys using Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Survey (OAS CAHPS).
• AMSURGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company and operator of the Digestive Health Center as part of a network of ambulatory surgery centers. AMSURG provides operational infrastructure, compliance support, and brand affiliation.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Cleveland Clinic: Major regional health system with significant gastroenterology and endoscopy capacity in Northeast Ohio; competes for high-acuity GI cases and physician referrals in the same geography as Digestive Health Center.
• United Digestive: Multi-site GI practice platform with affiliated endoscopy centers providing colonoscopy, EGD, and advanced GI procedures under a similar physician-affiliated ASC model.
• GI Alliance: Large PE-backed gastroenterology network offering the same core GI procedures (colonoscopy, EGD, sigmoidoscopy) across multiple states; a logical roll-up consolidator if AMSURG/KKR seek to exit or expand.
• Gastro Health: One of the largest gastroenterology practice platforms in the U.S., operating multi-site GI centers with similar procedure mix, quality registry participation, and physician-owner alignment.
• Surgery Partners: National operator of short-stay surgical facilities including GI endoscopy centers; comparable business model (ASC), payor mix, and PE-style ownership structure, even though GI is one of many service lines.
• U.S. Physical Therapy spinoff / USPI (United Surgical Partners International): Operated by Tenet Healthcare, USPI is the largest ASC platform in the U.S. with significant GI/endoscopy capacity; competes directly for payor contracts, physicians, and patient referrals in regional markets.

Others

• AMSURG: Parent company and operator of Digestive Health Center; relevant as a direct peer at the network level since other AMSURG centers provide comparable GI ASC services in adjacent markets.

Regional players

• Akumin: Outpatient diagnostic and procedural services provider with adjacent endoscopy/imaging capabilities serving outpatient referral channels — comparable in ambulatory delivery model and payor contracting.
• Ohio Gastroenterology Group: Multi-physician GI practice serving the Columbus/Central Ohio market with overlapping procedure mix and physician-owned ASC structure; a credible regional alternative if patients cross markets.

Direct peers

• PE GI Solutions: Operates a national network of office-based and ASC-based GI practices, directly competing with single-site GI ASCs like Digestive Health Center in core procedures (colonoscopy, EGD) and physician ownership model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wefixguts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/digestive-health-center-llc

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Digestive Health Center