Outpatient/Inpatient Gastroentrologist at Brand New Lakeland Highlands Hospital

Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute is seeking board-certified/board-eligible Gastroenterologists to join our team at the brand-new Lakeland Highlands Hospital located in Polk County, FL. This position is ideal for candidates who desire a balanced schedule of clinic and procedures, the flexibility to work in both outpatient and ASC settings, and the opportunity to build a thriving practice within a rapidly growing community. This role also includes inpatient call responsibilities. This is an excellent opportunity to practice in a modern facility with state-of-the-art equipment, a strong referral network, and the ability to help shape a growing GI service line within one of Florida’s most respected health systems.

As one of the nation’s most highly regarded digestive disease programs, the Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute offers comprehensive and coordinated care to evaluate, diagnose and treat a wide range of digestive diseases. The institute’s team of globally respected physicians are leaders in clinical research and postgraduate medical education.

Role Requirements: 

• Board Eligible or Board Certified in Gastroenterology.
• Completed an ACGME Fellowship program in Gastroenterology.
• FL Medical License or ability to obtain FL Medical License. 

Practice Highlights: 

• Brand-new hospital featuring modern endoscopy suites and advanced GI technology
• Strong referral base through Watson Clinic’s 100+ primary care physicians in the community
• Thriving physician-led, professionally managed healthcare system. 
• Excellent brand recognition, with new patients seeking out Orlando Health’s Digestive Health Institute for their care. 
• Integrated multidisciplinary and subspecialized practice environment. 
• Robust operational support and resources in a collaborative work environment. 
• Dynamic administration that fosters physician autonomy when it comes to clinical decision making and patient outcomes. 
• Opportunity for growth and leadership development. 
• Opportunity to expand an active research and innovation program. 

Financial Package:

• Excellent compensation package, opportunity to make more based-on productivity.
• Benefits package includes time away for vacations and conferences, health/vision/dental insurance along with full malpractice coverage, disability coverage, deferred compensation and retirement savings options.
• Generous sign-on bonus with eligibility for an annual bonus.

Community Information:

• There is no state income tax. 
• Greater Orlando offers direct access to Florida’s world-famous theme parks and attractions.
• Our lifestyle options have something for everyone, from the downtown districts for those enjoying a trendy urban flair, to family-oriented communities with top rated public and private schools.
• Ample outdoor activities including large public parks for kids and pets, hiking and biking trails, abundant lake access for kayaking, fishing and paddle-boarding, with Florida’s beautiful beaches only an hour away. 

Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute is a national and international destination for care, offering comprehensive and coordinated services to evaluate, diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions affecting the digestive tract and gastrointestinal organs, including the most complex cases. Led by renowned specialists in digestive health, the institute has distinguished itself worldwide in offering many diagnostic and treatment options available only at the most advanced centers, including artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities that improve diagnosis, treatment and outcomes. The institute brings internationally recognized digestive disease care to a new state-of-the-art facility in downtown Orlando as well as several satellite sites conveniently located within the Orlando Health system. The institute’s scope of specialties and services include:

• Advanced Endoscopy
• General Gastroenterology
• Hepatology
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Motility
• Pancreatology
• Research and Physician Education

A few examples of what sets us apart include:

• A commitment to innovation, leading-edge research and global educational initiatives
• Among select facilities offering peroral endoscopic myotomy, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) and NaviCam technology
• One of very few programs in the world to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) with endoscopic ultrasound procedures to improve performance
• Development of technology, together with industry partners, that integrates AI with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) to reduce radiation exposure to patients and providers
• Collaboration with professional and industry partners to integrate AI in endoscopic technology to detect early cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• A team that includes authors of more than 2,000 peer-reviewed journals articles and the best-selling endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) textbook in the world, Endosonography

Future plans for the institute include:

• Developing an evidence-based protocol for the management of colon polyps utilizing leading-edge techniques and technologies
• Establishing a liver transplant program
• Becoming home to the most comprehensive motility unit in the southern United States
• Creating subspecialty fellowships in hepatology, motility and IBD, in addition to gastrointestinal and advanced endoscopy fellowships
• Hosting the largest institution-sponsored endoscopy/EUS congress in the United States

Located in Lakeland, Florida, the new Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital will be a realization of a collaboration between Orlando Health and Watson Clinic, serving Polk County and the surrounding region.

Opening its doors in summer 2026, the seven-story, 302-bed facility will be staffed by Watson Clinic’s roster of expert physicians and providers. The comprehensive acute care facility will offer advanced technology and expertise in numerous areas, including cardiology, neurology, gastroenterology, obstetrics, surgery and surgical oncology. With 11 operating rooms, four cardiac and interventional suites, an 18-bed  intensive care unit (ICU) that will serve 36 patients at full build-out, and capacity to accommodate up to 360 inpatient beds, the hospital will support a wide offering of surgical and procedural services across multiple specialties. A robust cardiovascular program will include diagnostic cardiology and future PCI, structural heart disease and advanced electrophysiology (EP) services. Another focus will be a strong neurology program with an emphasis on stroke and spine care. A full obstetrical unit will feature eight labor and delivery rooms, two designated C-section operating rooms and more than 25 postpartum rooms, with a 12-bed neonatal intensive care unit scheduled to debut soon after opening. With 69 emergency and observation beds, a full-service, 24-hour emergency department will have the ability to treat a wide range of illnesses and injuries, from minor to major, in both adults and children.

The campus also will house a new four-story Watson Clinic medical office building featuring a number of services including radiology, laboratory, OB-GYN, gynecologic oncology, urology, orthopedic surgery and general surgery. A new Watson Clinic ambulatory surgery center on the campus will offer a host of outpatient procedures.

One of the region’s largest and most established physician-led practices, Watson Clinic has more than 84 years of deeply rooted history in the community. As the population in the area continues to grow, Orlando Health and Watson Clinic are expanding their footprints to meet the increasing demand, delivering healthcare services of the highest quality and greatest convenience for patients in Lakeland and beyond. Nationally recognized, Orlando Health also will bring its expertise in building an exceptional workplace culture that focuses on personal and professional growth programs that support physicians and team members throughout their careers.