Healio Gastroenterology Announces 2026 Disruptive Innovators
October 12, 2026
Thorofare, NJ — Healio announced the winners of the 2026 Disruptive Innovators Awards during the gastroenterology and hepatology Disruptive Innovators Award Reception, held on October 11th during this year’s American College of Gastroenterology Scientific Meeting (ACG) in Nashville.
The hosts, Edward V. Loftus, Jr., MD, and Ugo Iroku, MD, unveiled nine new Disruptive Innovators. The winners, chosen by their own peers and colleagues, are recognized for their dedication to pushing the field forward.
“The Association for Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists (ABGH) was honored to spend another year collaborating with Healio for this awards reception,” said co-host Ugo Iroku, MD, co-founder of ABGH, a Disruptive Innovators collaborator. “The event represents our shared core values.”
The list of winners is comprised of impressive physicians, researchers, institutions and influencers from a range of diverse backgrounds:
- Clinical Innovation (Awarded in collaboration with the American College of Gastroenterology): Satish S.C. Rao, MD, PhD, FRCP, FACG
- Rising Disruptor (Awarded in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic): Stephanie Gold, MD
- Lifetime Disruptor (Awarded in collaboration with Women in Endoscopy): Sunanda Kane, MD
- Woman Disruptor of the Year (Awarded in collaboration with Scrubs & Heels): Rinarani Sanghavi, MD, MBA
- Social Media Influencer (Awarded in collaboration with Healio Community): Saurabh Sethi, MD, MPH, @doctorsethimd
- The Patient Voice (Awarded in collaboration with The Association for Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists): Beyond Celiac
- Health Equity Award (Awarded in collaboration with World Gastroenterology Organisation): Nikki Duong, MD
- Industry Breakthrough (Awarded in collaboration with Healio AI): Wegovy (Semaglutide injection, Novo Nordisk)
- Partner in Practice (Awarded in collaboration with the ROME Foundation): Kate Scarlata, MPH, RDN
During the reception, the winners shared words of gratitude to those who supported them throughout their careers, including their families, patients and colleagues.
“I’ve spent my career taking care of patients, helping colleagues take care of their patients and helping colleagues take care of themselves. It’s been an honor and a privilege and an amazing journey,” Sunanda Kane, MD, former president of ACG, said in her virtual acceptance. “I’m just so honored that I’ve been recognized for the work that I’ve done.”
To learn more about the 2026 winners and see highlights from this year’s event, please visit Healio.com/DisruptiveInnovators.
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About Healio
Healio is a multichannel information platform, providing health care specialists with tailored news, information and education across 20+ specialties in support of their daily practice of medicine. Healio offers its core News, CME, Clinical Guidance and Community channels, plus the all-new Healio AI tool providing evidence-based intelligence at the point of care. For more information, visit Healio.com.