Saint Joseph Hospital Using New Technology for Colorectal Cancer Screenings

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 4, 2023) – Saint Joseph Hospital was the first in Kentucky to use AI-assisted colonoscopy technology to screen for colorectal cancer. The new technology allows physicians to detect colorectal polyps of varying shapes and sizes earlier through enhanced visualization during a colonoscopy.

Certain types of colorectal cancer can have a five-year survival rate of up to 91 percent when caught early. In Kentucky, colorectal cancer ranks fourth among all cancer diagnoses, but second in cancer deaths among all adults in 2022, according to the American Cancer Society.

“At CHI Saint Joseph Health, we are always looking for innovative ways to ensure our patients have access to the care they need,” said Anthony Houston, Ed.D., FACHE, CEO, CHI Saint Joseph Health. “With the high rates of cancer, and especially colorectal cancer, we appreciate the opportunity to offer this technology to improve health outcomes in Kentucky.”

Saint Joseph Hospital received three units of the GI Genius (™) technology through the Medtronic Health Equity Assistance Program for colorectal screening, which launched in February. The program donates the technology to facilities that provide for medically underserved communities with low screening rates or where access to the technology is not available.

“Kentucky ranks among the top five states with new colorectal cancer diagnoses,” said Bilal Aslam, MD, CHI Saint Joseph Medical Group – Gastroenterology, who first used the new screening technology in November. “This new tool will help us to detect polyps earlier and, hopefully, help us to prevent future colon cancer cases.”

Studies of the new computer-aided polyp detection system showed a 50% reduction in missed colorectal polyps versus standard colonoscopy.

To learn more about gastroenterology and cancer care at Saint Joseph, visit www.chisaintjosephhealth.org.

About CHI Saint Joseph Health

CHI Saint Joseph Health, part of CommonSpirit Health, is one of the largest and most comprehensive health systems in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with 100 locations in 20 counties, including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes, home health agencies and an ambulatory Care Center. The hospitals in CHI Saint Joseph Health are Flaget Memorial Hospital, Saint Joseph Berea, Saint Joseph East, Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph Jessamine, Saint Joseph London, Saint Joseph Mount Sterling, and Women’s Hospital at Saint Joseph East. In total, the health system serves patients in 35 counties statewide. CHI Saint Joseph Health is dedicated to providing a wide array of services toward a goal of building a healthier future for all. CHI Saint Joseph Health embodies a strong mission and faith-based heritage and works through local partnerships to expand access to care in the communities it serves.

About Saint Joseph Hospital 

Saint Joseph Hospital is a 433-bed hospital located in Lexington, Kentucky. Established in 1877 by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Kentucky, the facility serves residents of central and eastern Kentucky and is a nationally recognized tertiary medical center. Saint Joseph Hospital is Lexington’s first hospital. The hospital’s original mission was to provide compassionate care to the poor and underserved – a tradition still carried out today.

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