Dr. Omar Khokhar, Managing Partner, Illinois GastroHealth

Summary

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Guest: Dr. Omar Khokhar, Managing Partner, Illinois GastroHealth
Date: August 23, 2025
Host: Becker’s Healthcare
Topic: Trends and Challenges in Gastroenterology: Workforce, Innovation, and Financial Transparency

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Episode Overview

This episode features an insightful conversation with Dr. Omar Khokhar, Managing Partner of Illinois GastroHealth, focusing on the pressing trends, challenges, and innovations within the gastroenterology field. Dr. Khokhar discusses industry-wide issues related to workforce shortages, the growing demand for GI procedures, technological advancements—especially the use of artificial intelligence—and the importance of financial transparency for patients.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction to Dr. Omar Khokhar and Illinois GastroHealth

• Dr. Khokhar introduces himself as the Managing Partner of Illinois GastroHealth, a three-member GI organization serving McLean County, Illinois ([00:54]).
• Illinois GastroHealth is affiliated with Healthcare in Bloomington, Illinois, focusing on digestive healthcare needs in the region.

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Industry Trends and Pressing Challenges

Topics: Staffing Shortages, Demand for GI Procedures, Declining Reimbursements

• Increased Demand:
  • Demand for GI procedures has risen due to two main factors:
    • Aging population requiring more surveillance examinations
    • Lowered recommended screening age for colonoscopies from 50 to 45 years ([01:15])
• Workforce Constraints:
  • Early retirements, especially post-COVID, and recruitment difficulties compound the shortage, particularly in non-urban areas
  • Quote (Dr. Khokhar, 01:17):

    "What's happening is that because of early retirements primarily affected by Covid and otherwise, along with the difficulty in recruiting and replacing that workforce, especially outside of urban areas, has created a very disproportionate supply demand ratio in GI, leading to prolonged wait times which coupled with declining reimbursement has made this specialty very challenging."

• Financial Pressures:
  • Declining reimbursements make it difficult for GI practices to maintain high service levels under increasing demand

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Workforce & Staffing Solutions

Topics: Flexibility, Work-Life Balance

• Emphasizes the need for flexibility and meeting employees where they are
  • Quote (Dr. Khokhar, 02:14):

    "We have to meet people where they are. The days of someone adapting to our needs 100% of the time are not here anymore...everyone...looking for work-life balance and they're looking for flexibility."

• Suggests that organizational success now relies on accommodating workforce preferences rather than strict adherence to organizational needs

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Innovations & Technology in GI Practice

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Patient Outcomes

• Adoption of AI in colonoscopy over the past year has improved:
  • Efficiency of procedures
  • Detection rates for precancerous polyps ([02:55])
• Looking forward, AI could be used to triage referrals, prioritizing high-risk patients for timely colonoscopies
  • Quote (Dr. Khokhar, 03:09):

    "...the next step for us is how do we use artificial intelligence to preemptively scour our referral database so that it can potentially identify those patients who are at higher risk for developing colon cancer and making sure they get to the top of our list so they're not waiting six months for their colonoscopy."

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Financial Transparency & Patient Trust

Topics: Price Opacity, Patient Empowerment, Cash-Pay Options

• Highlights extreme variability and opacity in procedure pricing for patients; e.g., colonoscopy out-of-pocket costs range from $0 to $8,000 ([03:38])
• Advocates for standardized cash-pay options everywhere, empowering consumers to make informed financial choices about their care
  • Quote (Dr. Khokhar, 03:46):

    "...in a perfect world, every place should have a cash pay option and let the consumer decide. Right. Whether they want to go through their insurance or not and let them do the research and enable them to make that decision."

• Identifies lack of patient awareness regarding cash-pay alternatives, attributing opacity sometimes to entrenched habits or deliberate complexity
  • Very Memorable: When asked if patients know about cash pay:

    "Very much so." ([04:31])

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Closing Thoughts: Realigning Stakeholder Interests

Topics: Collaboration with Payers, Sustainable Healthcare Economics

• Stresses the need for more collegial, data-driven relationships between providers and payers to ensure:
  • Clinicians have sufficient resources
  • Patients aren't burdened with large bills
  • Payers do not continue to generate disproportionate profits at the expense of care value
• Calls for a “Venn diagram” approach to balance interests of clinicians, patients, and payers
  • Quote (Dr. Khokhar, 04:41):

    "Ideally, we would like to venn diagram that to a place that works for everybody, where clinicians aren't strapped resource-wise, patients are getting large bills and the payers are generating record profits. There's something skewed about that picture."

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "The biggest crunch we're facing in GI is the confluence of increased demand...and early retirements...leading to prolonged wait times which coupled with declining reimbursement has made this specialty very challenging." (Dr. Khokhar, 01:15)
• "We have to meet people where they are. The days of someone adapting to our needs 100% of the time are not here anymore." (Dr. Khokhar, 02:14)
• "What we've used over the last year is artificial intelligence during colonoscopy. That's improved the efficiency...and our ability to detect precancerous polyps." (Dr. Khokhar, 02:55)
• "Every place should have a cash pay option and let the consumer decide...But...we have to give them that missing piece of information, which often is very gray and vague, sometimes by design, sometimes just because we're not used to doing it." (Dr. Khokhar, 03:46)
• "Ideally, we would like to venn diagram that to a place that works for everybody...There's something skewed about that picture." (Dr. Khokhar, 04:41)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:54 – Dr. Khokhar introduces himself and Illinois GastroHealth
• 01:08 – Discussion of demand and workforce trends in GI
• 02:14 – Strategies for addressing staffing challenges
• 02:55 – Innovations: Artificial intelligence in colonoscopy and patient triage
• 03:38 – Importance of financial transparency and cash-pay options
• 04:41 – Closing thoughts on payer-provider collaboration and system realignment

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Summary Tone & Takeaways

This episode uses a pragmatic, solutions-oriented tone as Dr. Khokhar outlines industry challenges and strategies. The focus is on meaningful improvements for patients, staff, and the healthcare ecosystem at large—with a strong call for flexibility, technological adoption, financial transparency, and constructive payer-provider collaboration. The episode is particularly valuable for healthcare leaders seeking actionable insights on workforce management, AI innovation, and patient-centric business practices in the specialty care sector.

Transcript

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[Becker's Healthcare Podcast Host]

And welcome to the Becker's Healthcare Podcast, recorded live at the Becker's 22nd Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management Driven ASC and Future of Spine Conference. I'm joined today by Dr. Omar Kokar, managing Partner at Nilnoy Gastro Health. Omar, thank you for joining us today. Can you start a bit by telling us a little bit about yourself and your role with your organization?

[Dr. Omar Kokar]

Thanks for having me. I'm the Managing Partner for Illinois Gastro Health. We are a three member GI organization. We are affiliated with Healthcare in Bloomington, Illinois and we serve the digestive needs of McLean County.

[Becker's Healthcare Podcast Host]

So what trends or shifts are you seeing right now in the industry that you think are most important for industry leaders to pay attention to?

[Dr. Omar Kokar]

I think the biggest crunch that we're facing in GI is the confluence of increased demand and that's a toxic sort of storm that's come together with people living longer, requiring more surveillance exams and earlier screening, age 45 as opposed to 50. So so the demand has increased for endoscopic procedures. But what's happening is that because of early retirements primarily affected by Covid and otherwise, along with the difficulty in recruiting and replacing that workforce, especially outside of urban areas, has created a very disproportionate supply demand ratio in gi, leading to prolonged wait times which coupled with declining reimbursement has made this specialty very challenging.

[Becker's Healthcare Podcast Host]

So as you mentioned, staffing and workforce challenges continue to be a concern across healthcare. How is your organization navigating these pressers and what strategies have you seen work?

[Dr. Omar Kokar]

I think we have to be flexible. I think we have to meet people where they are. The days of someone adapting to our needs 100% of the time are not here anymore. I think everyone, whether it's a clinician, work staff, anybody from top across the spectrum, they're looking for work life balance and they're looking for flexibility.

[Becker's Healthcare Podcast Host]

So as many organizations are exploring new technologies, partnerships or care models to improve efficiency and outcomes, are there any Innovations or initiatives that you found particularly promising?

[Dr. Omar Kokar]

Well, what we've used over the last year is artificial intelligence during colonoscopy. And so that's improved the efficiency of our colonoscopy and our ability to detect precancerous polyps. I think the next step for us is how do we use artificial intelligence to preemptively scour our referral database so that it can potentially identify those patients who are at higher risk for developing colon cancer and making sure they get to the top of our list so they're not waiting six months for their colonoscopy.

[Becker's Healthcare Podcast Host]

And, you know, financial transparency is something that is being talked about more and more in the healthcare space. In your view, how does strengthening financial communication help foster long term trust and loyalty between patients and providers?

[Dr. Omar Kokar]

Well, I think take colonoscopy, for example. I mean, the payment or the amount due to a patient could be zero or it could be $8,000. Right. The procedure itself is the same. There might be some regional differences. You know, you expect maybe a 10 or 20% adjustment, depending where you are. But in a perfect world, there should be every, every place should have a cash pay option and let the consumer decide. Right. Whether they want to go through their insurance or not and let them do the research and enable them to make that decision. But in order for us, in order for them to do that, we have to give them that missing piece of information, which often is very gray and vague, sometimes by design, sometimes just because we're not used to doing it. Right. Right.

[Becker's Healthcare Podcast Host]

And do you think a lot of patients just don't know that that cash pay is even an option in a lot of cases or.

[Dr. Omar Kokar]

Very much so.

[Becker's Healthcare Podcast Host]

Well, Omar, I want to thank you again for joining us today on the show. But before I let you go, do you have any final thoughts or anything you'd like to leave with the audience today?

[Dr. Omar Kokar]

I think what I come back to all the time is because the reality of the situation is that payers are the ones who are paying and reimbursing us. We need to meet with them to demonstrate the value of what we do. And if we can do that in a collegial manner, looking at their bottom line, our bottom line, the patient's bottom line. Ideally, we would like to venn diagram that to a place that works for everybody, where clinicians aren't strapped resource wise, patients are getting large bills and the payers are generating record profits. There's something skewed about that picture. And so I think realigning that to me is what the need of the hour is right. Right, right.

[Becker's Healthcare Podcast Host]

I really like that. Well, Omar, thank you again for joining us. And you have a lovely rest of your day.

[Dr. Omar Kokar]

Thank you. Thanks for having me.