St. John's Health Expands Endoscopy Suite to Boost Colonoscopy Access as 1 in 5 Cases Hit Under-55s
Updated
Updated · Buckrail · Jul 20
St. John's Health Expands Endoscopy Suite to Boost Colonoscopy Access as 1 in 5 Cases Hit Under-55s
1 articles · Updated · Buckrail · Jul 20
Summary
St. John’s Health has opened an expanded endoscopy suite in Jackson, Wyoming, adding appointment capacity for colonoscopies as it pushes to screen more local patients.
The expansion comes as colorectal cancer is rising in younger adults, with 1 in 5 diagnoses now occurring in people under 55 even as overall cancer rates generally decline.
St. John’s says its open-access model lets patients book routine colonoscopies online without an initial in-person consult, followed by a nurse review of family history and other risk factors.
Routine screening now starts at age 45, and surgeon Eric Wieman said that threshold could fall again as early-onset cases increase; the 30-45 minute procedure can also remove precancerous polyps and flag hereditary risks.